Census numbers are at your fingertips

By Warren Cornwall

Herald Writer

Pat Cordova wondered how racially diverse Mountlake Terrace was.

The city councilwoman had read news articles about how Snohomish County had changed. She had seen the transformation in the neighborhoods with her own eyes.

But she wanted to see the numbers.

“I just think it’s very interesting, and I think we have a large minority population in our counties that we really don’t recognize,” she said.

She asked a city employee to get the information. She’s still waiting.

Cordova, along with businesses, homebuyers, recent arrivals and curious residents, don’t need to wait for such information. A wealth of facts about their communities is a phone call, mouse click or public library away.

Want to know how many people live in your city or neighborhood? How about the number of square miles covered by the county? Or how the racial diversity has changed in the last 10 years?

The 2000 Census, and the growth of the Internet, has made such information more current and accessible than in the past.

Steve Toy, Snohomish County’s chief demographer, once found himself answering questions by scanning pages of a book and copying them for people. Now, he can often turn to the computer and quickly look up information.

Toy said he fields up to five phone calls a day related to census information. Some come from businesses looking for information that could help them figure out things such as where to put a new store. Other calls come from public agencies trying to decipher something.

The third group is citizens trying to learn more about their community, Toy said. Some are prospective homebuyers wanting more information about a neighborhood. Others wonder how many people live in their city, how big the city is, or, like Cordova, what the racial makeup is.

A small mountain of new information is available from the 2000 Census to answer those questions.

Among other things, people can learn:

  • The population of a city, county or state.

  • The racial makeup of a place, and how it has changed over the decades.

  • How many people own their homes and how many rent.

  • Which places have lots of kids and which don’t.

  • Which places have a more elderly population.

    By the end of the year, the U.S. Census Bureau is expected to release more detailed surveys of Snohomish County and several other Washington counties. Those will show information such as how long it takes people to get to work, how many residents were born outside the U.S. and a very detailed breakdown of people’s ethnic roots.

    What’s the best way to get the information?

    You can go to the Web, to the phone or to the library.

    Web sites can give you a wealth of information right from your desk. But sometimes the information can be peppered with demographic jargon. Be a little patient, and you should find what you need. The most comprehensive and usable sources are the U.S. Census Bureau and the Washington state Office of Financial Management.

    Local libraries have yet to see any publications from the 2000 census. But many have thick tomes of information from earlier counts. That offers a historical perspective and an idea of how things have changed.

    Finally, Toy said he and other demographers at the county’s planning division are happy to field questions.

    You can call Herald Writer Warren Cornwall at 425-339-3463 or send e-mail to cornwall@heraldnet.com.

    American Factfinder, the Census Bureau’s Web site for finding information: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet

    Population Clock, the Census Bureau’s estimate of the nation’s current population: www.census.gov/cgi-bin/popclock

    Washington Office of Financial Management’s census site: www.ofm.wa.gov/census2000/index.htm

    OFM’s census profiles of each county: www.ofm.wa.gov/cenpro2000/county/index.htm

    Snohomish County demographers

    Steve Toy, 425-388-3311 Ext. 2361

    Tim Koss, 425-388-3311 Ext. 2210

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