Keep an eye out for the 2010 Census questionnaire, which arrives via mail from the US government in March. It’s important to get an accurate count. The population tally influences retail decisions, housing development and much more in Downtown and citywide.
Since 2000, DC has added about 28,000 residents. Last year, the city’s population grew by an estimated 9,600 residents to nearly 600,000—the largest annual gain since World War II, according to US Census Bureau annual estimates. Downtown’s residential population has grown by more than 3,400 in the last 10 years. The increased population figures, and the demographics they represent, help attract retail, as well as develop new housing initiatives.
Downtown’s population growth has reached a plateau, but CityCenter DC, the mixed-use development bounded by New York Avenue and 9th Street and H and 11th Streets, will bring nearly 1,000 new residents into the heart of the Downtown BID area once it is built in 2013. Strong residential growth in nearby neighborhoods such as Mount Vernon Triangle will present a compelling reason for more retailers to locate in the Downtown BID area, creating a critical mass of shopper’s goods retail, the one sector of the Downtown economy that has yet to achieve regional success.
The Census population count, taken every 10 years, also determines local and state governments’ distribution of nearly $450 billion in federal aid. Nearly $2.5 billion could potentially fill DC’s coffers to help pay for everything from roads and public safety to housing and community development.
So stand up and be counted: Complete the 2010 Census questionnaire and mail it back by April 1. Your community and the city will be glad you did.