What the Census figures show on paper differs sharply from what Chelsea residents observe in their community. Following the release of Census 2010 population data last week, City Manager Jay Ash expressed concern that thousands of Chelsea residents were not counted, warning this will cost the City significant federal and state funding over the coming years. “I feel they’re highly suspect,” Ash said, clearly troubled by the results. “My message is that there is no way Chelsea is below 40,000 in population and I would think there’s even more. It’s an inexact science. We’ve had official Census estimates over the last five years that placed us as high as 41,000. At 35,000, we think we’re substantially undercounted.” The Census recorded Chelsea’s population at 35,177, representing a gain of just 97 residents from the 2000 Census. This translates to growth of less than 1 percent, well below the rate most observers believe Chelsea has actually experienced. A decade earlier, Chelsea had grown by more than 6,000 people and ranked among the state’s fastest-growing communities, surpassing 30,000 residents for the first time in years. Many anticipated the 2010 Census would show comparable expansion, pushing the population past 40,000 for the first time in decades. The modest increase proved surprising and inconsistent with growth patterns in neighboring communities. Ash noted that Revere and Everett each grew by nearly 10 percent, with Revere ranking as the state’s fourth fastest-growing city. Boston expanded by approximately 4 percent. Chelsea stood alone in failing to demonstrate substantial growth. “It may not be fatal, but it is frustrating that the process doesn’t work for places like Chelsea,” he said. According to Ash, the undercounting will reduce federal and state funding allocated to the City and affect how human services agencies receive support. This has prompted Ash to explore challenging the count, though he acknowledged any successful appeal would arrive too late to benefit current budgets. “You can appeal, but the appeals are limited,” he said. “The appeal, even if successful, doesn’t change the number they give you from the perspective of funding formulas. We’re assessing our options right now.” The Census data revealed that Hispanics now constitute the overwhelming majority of Chelsea’s population. Hispanics represented 62 percent of residents, numbering 21,855 people. This marked the first Census in which Hispanics exceeded 50 percent of the population; in 2000, they comprised 48 percent and ranked second to the white population. The white population declined by 3,500 residents this time, dropping from 58 percent to 48 percent of the total. Non-Hispanic whites specifically accounted for just 25 percent, or 8,882 people, a 13 percent decrease from 2000. Census respondents may select multiple categories for Hispanic or Latino identification, allowing individuals to identify as both white and Hispanic, a choice many Hispanic residents exercise. Similar demographic shifts occurred in Revere and Everett, where white population percentages fell comparably. Blacks or African Americans comprised 8.5 percent of Chelsea’s population, while Asians made up 3.1 percent. The Black population increased by 1.2 percent, but the Asian population decreased substantially by 1.6 percent. Those identifying as two or more races actually declined from 6.6 percent to 5.9 percent. Housing data presented another unusual finding: approximately 300 new housing units were built since 2000, yet 6.3 percent sat vacant. This reversed the 2000 pattern, when only 3.6 percent of units were unoccupied. Last week’s Census release contained only basic population and demographic information required for state Congressional redistricting. Additional detailed data regarding economics, family composition and employment will become available before June.
City Fears Loss of Funds from Census Numbers
