City of St. Louis sees population growth

[Arch City]

St. Louis Business Journal - 4:38 PM CDT
Thursday, April 19, 2007

The population in the city of St. Louis has been on a steady incline since 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday. The city's population in 2006 is estimated at 353,837 residents.

In 2003, the city had an estimated population of 332,223. Based on Thursday's estimate, the population has grown by 6.5 percent.

Source (http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/04/16/daily54.html?surround=lfn)

[Arch City]

Another tidbit from the St. Louis Mayor's blog

Thursday, April 19, 2007
City Population Growth
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Later this morning, St. Louis planning director Rollin Stanley and I will pass along some good news about the City. You can read it first here.

The U.S. Census Bureau, which annually estimates cities’ populations, has agreed that our population for July, 2006, was 353,837, an increase from the previous July. This marks the fourth straight year our population has gone up.

It has not been a dramatic jump, about 6,000 people since the last Census, but it has been a steady one.

There are many factors that have contributed to our success. City government has become more efficient and effective. The national and local media have discovered – and are writing a lot more about — our hip spaces and historic places. Expatriates and long-time residents have been talking to their friends about our close-knit neighborhoods or about the experiences of living near great attractions like the St. Louis Zoo, Busch Stadium, and Forest Park.

Downtown has come alive — from Washington Avenue, to Ballpark Village, to Lumiere Place — and home to thousands of new residents and dozens of new shops and restaurants. In the Central West End, the newest buildings are trendy high-rises.

But, we have also been seeing growth in City neighborhoods that hadn’t seen new investment in decades. Visitation Park; Fox Park; Benton Park West; Vandeventer; the part of the greater West End north of the Delmar; and Old North St. Louis are among the neighborhoods being rediscovered as great places to live and make good investments.

After five decades of disinvestment, property values in the City are rising faster than just about anywhere else in the region. Since 2000, residential property values in the City have gone up almost 70 percent.

This hasn’t happened by itself – and it won’t keep happening without all of us working together – hardworking City employees; thoughtful aldermen; and, especially, involved City residents, new ones and old ones.

If you are reading this, you are probably part of the reason the City is growing again. So, thanks.

Source (http://www.mayorslay.com/desk/display.asp?deskID=682)

[JivecitySTL]

To those of us living here, this comes as no surprise. I am so proud of the city!

[Evergrey]

maybe this should be merged with the existing thread on the first page about St. Louis population trends?

[holladay]

good news for STL. a little further down the mississippi this river city ain't doing quite so hot. if it wasn't for annexation memphis'd still be dwindling.

[david23]

Great news, but what is behind this growth?

[LMich]

I love hearing these cities turning around their population losses. It's so rare.

I'd be very interested to see what has reversed, and who the city's been able to retain or bring in. What are they doing right, that other declining cities are still doing wrong? I suspect it's more than the small size, though, I think that accounts for a significant part of the equation.

Great news!

[scguy]

Id imagine the trend of living in the city is driving the trend. Many of the cities here in the Southeast are getting people moving back into the city. Good job St. Louis!