It appears that
Bend’s population may be catching up to the numbers posted on signs at the
city’s outskirts for the past several years--at least in the view of the
federal Bureau of the Census.
In its latest
data release the bureau estimates that Bend’s population was 81,236 for the
year that ended on July 1, 2013. And that represented a growth of 2,297
newscomers, which put Bend 35th among the fastest growing metro areas of more
than 50,000 with an increase of 2.9% over the previous year.
Moreover, it also
put the city at the top of Oregon’s cities for growth for the same period,
followed by Hillsboro, at 2.1%.
But the Census
Bureau numbers are not in step with population statistics from Portland State
University, which estimated Bend’s growth at 1% as of last July, or 78,280
residents.
Even though Bend experienced
population losses attributed to the recession and concurrent regional real
estate collapse, city officials did not change the signs entering town that
noted more than 80,000 residents.
In statistics released
in early 2011, the bureau had estimated Bend’s population at 76,639 as of July
of 2010. But the Population Research Center at Portland State estimated Bend
had 83,215 residents at that time.
So maybe those
population signs have been correct at some point in time--like those broken
clocks that get it right at least twice a day.
