Population changes
Population changes for area towns, according to the Census Bureau’s estimates for July 1, 2009.
Baldwin: up 24 people; up 0.5 percent
Basehor: up 169 people; up 4 percent
Eudora: up 28 people; up 0.4 percent
Kansas City: up 978 people; up 0.6 percent
Lawrence: up 1,544 residents; up 1.7 percent
Lecompton: up 2 people; up 0.3 percent
Manhattan: up 662 people; up 1.2 percent
Olathe: up 1,868 people; up 1.5 percent
Overland Park: up 2,306 people; up 1.3 percent
Ottawa: up 18 people; up 0.1 percent
Shawnee: up 696 people; up 1.1 percent
Topeka: up 639 people; up 0.5 percent
Wichita: up 6,348 people; up 1.7 percent
Lawrence’s population made a surprising surge in 2009, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Lawrence added 1,544 residents in 2009, which was good for a 1.7 percent growth rate. That marked the first time since 2005 that the city had grown at a rate greater than 1 percent. According to Census Bureau estimates, the city’s population stood at 92,048 on July 1, 2009.
“This is great news,” Mayor Mike Amyx said.
But it wasn’t necessarily expected. The city’s economy showed signs of suffering in 2009. Sales tax collections in 2009 fell by about 3 percent in Lawrence, their largest decline in recent memory.
Large employers, such as Kansas University and Lawrence public schools, also struggled with budgets, and federal job numbers showed fewer jobs were located in Douglas County than in 2008.
But the housing market did receive a boost in 2009 from a homebuyers tax credit, and local real estate leaders believe the population numbers show that people still find Lawrence attractive.
“We bounced back in the fall with the housing market,” said Rob Hulse, executive officer of the Lawrence Board of Realtors. “I don’t know if I’m surprised about the numbers, but I’m pleased to hear it. It seemed like we had gotten flat for quite a period.”
In 2006 through 2008, the city’s population growth did fall well below its historical average of about 2 percent per year. In 2006, the city grew at 0.5 percent. In 2007 it grew at 0.8 percent, and in 2008 at 0.7 percent.
Amyx said it was important for the city to improve upon those numbers.
“I think it is a must,” Amyx said. “Obviously, we will go up and down some as the economy changes, but it is important to get back to our normal growth trends because we make a lot of infrastructure decisions based on what the population ultimately is going to be.”
When the numbers come in lower than normal, city residents often are asked to pay more than expected. City leaders have been struggling with how to pay for a multimillion dollar expansion of the Clinton Water Treatment Plant, which was made with the expectation of traditional growth levels. City water rates have been under pressure for the last several years as a result.
Amyx hopes some of that is beginning to change.
“I hope we have started to see a comeback,” Amyx said. “I haven’t heard enough yet to say that for sure, but I think this is a positive sign all the way around.”
Numbers from the decennial census, under way now, won't be available until later.
Comments
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lawrenceguy40 (anonymous) says…
1.7% growth in population, 3% fall in sales tax!
barry o has done a great job on that economy. Stimulating his ego is all the stimulus has done. Not surprised Kenya didn't want him.
132
weegee (anonymous) replies…
I wasn't aware that the football game or the 3% sales tax had anything to do with Kenya.
maxxiumimports (anonymous) says…
More People and even less jobs. great I think I know how this movie ends!
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"“This is great news,” Mayor Mike Amyx said."
Why is it great news, Mike?
beerbaron03 (anonymous) says…
Hey lawrenceguy, thanks for paying my salary! You're the best :)
PFC (anonymous) replies…
We pay for his Medicare, so that sounds about right.
Alabamastreet (anonymous) says…
Good job Lawrence! Nice to see positive news.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
The 1.7% increse could be all the KU students that were counted as Lawrence residents by the census takers at a cost of $186,000 dollars.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) replies…
That tax money is spent making sure they get counted as residents somewhere else-- primarily in Republican legislative districts.
srj (anonymous) says…
Lawrence (and Kansas) saw increases because many states are in much worse shape then we are. And 3% decrease in sales tax in 2009 is not bad, because you have to remember the first quarter in 2009, the US GNP dropped a whopping 6.4%.
average (anonymous) replies…
Yep. Over much of the last year, Lawrence has been on the list of '10 metro areas with the lowest unemployment rate' (along with Fargo, Bismarck, Ames, Iowa City, Lincoln, and other places in the region). That tends to be attractive.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
Sales Tax reciepts drop by 3%. Just wait till the shoppers figure out they are paying 8 3/4 % sales tax and there is going to be an even bigger drop as shoppers buy elsewhere.
Machiavelli_mania (anonymous) says…
Oh come now! It is not that surprising.
There are rabbit hutches everywhere (note the apartment glut).
artichokeheart (anonymous) says…
Nubers? Come on LJWorld you are award winning.
RoeDapple (anonymous) says…
What the hell is a 'nuber'?
artichokeheart (anonymous) says…
I don't know but apperently Mike Amex said it.
Fixed_Asset (anonymous) replies…
"apperently"? Come on, you are posting on an award-winning site. How funny.
bigdave (anonymous) says…
Lawrence population makes surprisingly large increase in 2009
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Ya all thugs and homeless from Kansas City and Topeka!
walterrhett (walter rhett) says…
Way to Go!
estespark (anonymous) says…
I swear the LJW has used this photo at least three times...
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
Some people always want free advertising. sdgaqgfa, go buy some advertising and quit posting here. Cheapskate!
misterlee (anonymous) says…
I miss the Lawrence I discovered in 1967, but I'd rather live in a town that's growing vs one that is dying. We're nearly three times as big as we were in '67. There are towns in the western half of the state that won't exist in another decade. Population has gone up while jobs have gone down because many of us now work in KC or Topeka but won't live there.
jafs (anonymous) replies…
Why not simply remain stable, with a consistent population?
The notion that we either grow or die is flawed, since there's another possibility.
misterlee (anonymous) replies…
Nothing ever stays the same.
jafs (anonymous) replies…
Perhaps, but we can clearly have a town in which some leave, and some arrive, creating an essentially stable population.
If the town is run well, it will have enough money to maintain/improve infrastructure as needed.
If we're not overbuilt, landlords and businesses will thrive.
DillonBarnes (anonymous) says…
Woo, go Lecompton!
gr3sam (anonymous) says…
Where do the new residents reside? Did they buy near KU? Did they buy South? North? Is the Horizon 2020 analysis/prediction of growth SW still valid?
CWGOKU (anonymous) says…
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh............. Nothing like a new photo.........
For crying out loud, step outside and snap a current photo. With the digital era it will take you just a few minutes to put it on your web site.
puddleglum (anonymous) says…
I'm really pretty, and I have to think that the reason for population increase is all because people look at me, and then get into the whole 'let;s make a baby' mood-then 9 months later, you got yourself an increase.
ahhh....I wag my head as golden radiance flows
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
inny buddy want to buy sum nekkkid pitchers of puddlegum?
none2 (anonymous) replies…
Maybe a better thing to do would be to target his pictures in parts of town that are afraid their neighborhood schools might get clothed in future cuts.
Plus perhaps sell his photos to the real estate agencies so they can put it next to the for sale signs -- at least until they get to pending contract state.
Finally, send them to Colorado and Nebraska and let them know what they will be missing now that they betrayed the big 12.
sherbert (anonymous) says…
If the census workers have to call and verify all the info we sent in with our mailing census, why have the mailing?? Taxpayer money at work!
Khublai_Juan (anonymous) replies…
I agree its ridiculous, but at least those tax dollars are coming into Lawrence. One of the handful of call centers making those calls is located in Lawrence.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Bush/Cheney put 11 million people out of work with their anti american home loan fraudulent fiasco. So radio news says those jobs will not be back. They went abroad.
More population and fewer jobs available = not much to get excited about. Let's be realistic.
That new population may well be students which is a temporary new population.
Lawrence,Kansas does not need to get back to "boom town economics" that has flooded most of all our markets. That is reckless economics.
With 7,000,000( milion) homes on the market and with more on the horizon = some very good deals to be had around the country.
There are some who can afford their mortgage payments yet are simply walking away because their homes are losing wayyyyyyyyyy to much value. According to CBS news.
merrill (anonymous) says…
If commissioners want to spend tax dollars why expand our tax bills constantly by way of miles and miles and miles of new infrastructure when the economy is so unpredictable?
Recessions are no time to add NEW tax dollar liabilities.
Want to create jobs within Lawrence, Kansas?
Fix the streets and sidewalks throughout old east Lawrence neighborhoods. After all these neighborhoods have been paying into the cookie jar for at least the last 50-100 years. Let's give these neighborhoods some of their tax dollars back and put some folks to work.
Maintaining existing infrastructure is smart economics.
IndusRiver (anonymous) says…
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/aug...
The homeless and others who are lured to this town by signs posted in other towns and states are here because HUD is this city's largest landlord. For this federally-subsidized town to keep pulling in the $$$$, good or better census numbers are needed for the grants that Lawrence's gazillion welfare agencies write (you can go to the above link for a related article).
One winter ago one of the cab driver's told me that "a lot of nutcases have been showing up in town." They've been arriving in Lawrence since 2009, January. They had to for the census because what they represent to everyone else is MONEY.
They're used and they're screwed and probably half of them don't even know it, yet.
PopcoRN (anonymous) says…
Tomorrow's headline: "Lawrence's 1.7% increase drops to 0.6% after numerous stabbings"