San Francisco Seeing A Shift To The Suburbs

"The American Community Survey offers the first look at how the Bay Area has changed since 2000. For the first time, the data include detailed information for cities and counties with 65,000 or more residents."

While the old census attempted to count every person, the new survey makes estimates based on a portion of the population

"Cities such as Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco are seeing their populations shrink and age, while a multicultural migration continues to the east, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau."

The household population of San Francisco dropped 5 percent, from 756,976 in 2000 to 719,077 in 2005, the new data suggest. In Oakland, the population appears to have gone from 392,309 in 2000 to between 357,796 and 390,024 in 2005.

The most dramatic population decreases in San Francisco were among Hispanic and black residents. The city's black population dropped by between 20 and 25 percent, and the Hispanic population went down as much as 10 percent, according to results of the 2005 community survey.

In Oakland, the population dropped by as much as 9 percent, while the black population dropped by between 13 and 24 percent, from 142,460 black residents in 2000 to between 107,637 and 124,267 in 2005. However, Oakland's Hispanic and Asian populations appear to have increased"

"Researchers who rely on census data say the new numbers will prove helpful in coming years, when the survey results can be compared. But the 2005 numbers could have some kinks.

"Patricia Perry, a senior regional planner with the Association of Bay Area Governments, said she doesn't believe the populations could have dropped so significantly in San Francisco and Oakland and said she has doubts about the accuracy."

Thanks to ABAG-MTC Library