If only six of Hoboken’s residents hadn’t taken part in the census in 2010, the city would be a little worse off when it comes to future funding opportunities.
Surpassing the 50,000 population threshold (to 50,005) was important for Hoboken, according to Mayor Dawn Zimmer, because that enables the city to receive additional government aid.
“It’s a great place to live, a great place to work, and to play.” – Mayor Dawn Zimmer
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Breaking it down
Hoboken’s new population figures, 50,005, up from 38,577 in the 2000 census, shows that 2000-2010 was a decade of development that drove a nearly 30 percent population surge in the mile-square city.
Nearly all racial demographics increased, especially whites and Asians. Hoboken now has 41,124 white citizens, up 32 percent from 31,178 a decade ago. Hoboken’s black population grew from 1,644 to 1,767, a nearly 8 percent rise. The Asian population of Hoboken more than doubled, from 1,661 in 2000 to 3,558 in 2010. There are 7,602 Hispanic residents in Hoboken, which is a slight decrease from 7,783 in 2000.
(The percentage of Hispanic residents is far different from in many of the neighboring towns. The 2010 Cenus showed that Union City has the highest percentage of Hispanics out of all New Jersey towns, with 84.7 percent. West New York is 78.1 percent Hispanic, coming in at third.)
Hoboken’s housing stock has also increased since the year 2000. Ten years ago, a total of 19,915 housing units existed in Hoboken. Now, that number is up almost 35 percent, to 26,855. Of the over 26,000 units, 25,041 are occupied, or 94.5 percent. The 2000 United States average of occupied housing units was 91 percent.
Hoboken’s population is the eighth largest out of the 12 municipalities in Hudson County. The county’s population was also shown to be the most diverse in New Jersey.
Officials react
City officials past and present have reacted differently to the news.
“I felt it was extremely important to get as many people counted as possible,” Zimmer said on Tuesday. “My administration worked hard to do the outreach and make people aware that [the Census] ties into funding. That’s why we did a major push to make this happen. We were proud it was the highest response rate in the county.”
Zimmer echoed the concerns Roberts had during the 2000 census about the city being undercounted. But she said that much of the increase has to do with the new development.
“People love living in Hoboken,” Zimmer said. “It’s a great place to live, a great place to work, and to play. That’s what is coming together.”
Roberts served as mayor from 2001 to 2009, and released a letter to local newspapers as soon as the new Census information was released.
“During my time as mayor, we put into place numerous initiatives that spurred the development Hoboken has enjoyed today,” he said. “Hoboken is the only municipality in Hudson County to experience such a large growth in population, and for this, all the residents of Hoboken should be proud.”
Roberts noted the many projects throughout the city that have been built since the 2000 Census, resulting in more housing, such as the Sky Club, Tea Building, Maxwell Place, the Shipyard, and the W Hotel.
“Hoboken became home to hundreds of thousands of square feet of new Class A office space, in addition to hundreds of new luxury units, as well as affordable housing projects,” Roberts said in the letter.
Council President Beth Mason also reflected on the new Census results last week.
“It’s not a surprise. It’s great [since it] provides more opportunities for [government aid], especially for infrastructure,” Mason said.
However, with the increased population size, Mason sees “bigger challenges.”
“Our job as elected officials is to protect the health, welfare, and safety of all of the people who live in Hoboken,” Mason said.
To see the information for yourself, log on to census.gov.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com