Matthew Santoni, The Examiner
2008-03-20 07:00:00.0
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BALTIMORE -

Population growth in the Baltimore region appeared steady over the last year with the exception of Baltimore City, which lost 3,500 residents, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The annual population estimates, which adjust the 2000 census data based on births, deaths and migration, show the entire state grew by a total of 16,300 since the last estimate in 2006. Most counties held steady or showed slight growth, but Baltimore showed a decline in the thousands that will likely be challenged by city officials.

After remaining level since 2003 at around 641,000 residents, the city’s population estimate dove to 637,455 between 2006 and 2007. However, officials believed estimates for Baltimore were often too low due to the difficulties of surveying and estimating population within the city.

“Those numbers are always subject to tremendous revision,” said economist Anirban Basu of the Sage Policy Group. “They report one number for Baltimore City and almost always revise that number upward ... in an urban context, you can miss a lot of people in a survey like that.”

Basu said economic forces such as rising gas prices and consumers’ desire for cheaper housing were starting to work in the city’s favor, contributing to a leveling off or reversal of the city’s declining population.

“It’s inconsistent with the work we’ve been doing in the city adding new housing downtown and in areas like Canton, to show this kind of loss,” said Dunbar Brooks, state school board president and demographer for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

More than 2.6 million people live in the city and the five surrounding counties. Howard County experienced the largest growth with 3,164 new residents, while Harford and Carroll counties both remained near level, growing by fewer than 1,000 each.

Basu attributed growth in Anne Arundel and Howard counties to continuing job growth in the Washington, D.C., area, especially in areas such as Clarksville close to the Montgomery County border.

The state’s growth overall has likely slowed due to high housing costs and the declining economy, Brooks said.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com