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I made a qualitative statement, CK. Believe it or not, census or similar numbers are indicators of very little, and especially irrelevant to my post. At no point did I say the population was dwindling.
I enjoy some of your posts, but you lean on census and similar data like a crutch. And I hate to tell you this, but you mis-interpret it wildly. Lets take your Ithaca data post for example. Just because population is going up on an absolute basis does not mean it is good population news or positive news about a geography.
According to your posted population stats, Ithaca's population increased ~11% from 1980 to 2020.
But the average USA population increase from 1980 to 2020 was 46.47%. Ithaca actually fell behind by ~35%.
Your stats show that Ithaca is LOSING based on population, quite literally the opposite of what you are trying to assert.
In any case, carry on because I like your posts, but perhaps consider that your census and other statistics posts don't mean what you think they mean.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
If anything, the city/area has steadily grown and got on the radar of publications, etc. In turn, it has attracted a range of people.
I made a qualitative statement, CK. Believe it or not, census or similar numbers are indicators of very little, and especially irrelevant to my post. At no point did I say the population was dwindling.
I enjoy some of your posts, but you lean on census and similar data like a crutch. And I hate to tell you this, but you mis-interpret it wildly. Lets take your Ithaca data post for example. Just because population is going up on an absolute basis does not mean it is good population news or positive news about a geography.
According to your posted population stats, Ithaca's population increased ~11% from 1980 to 2020.
But the average USA population increase from 1980 to 2020 was 46.47%. Ithaca actually fell behind by ~35%.
Your stats show that Ithaca is LOSING based on population, quite literally the opposite of what you are trying to assert.
In any case, carry on because I like your posts, but perhaps consider that your census and other statistics posts don't mean what you think they mean.
I'm not comparing it in relation to the US, but to itself. I'm honestly not trying to argue, but I'm simply just stating that it is a growing area.
Just to add, since it wasn't in the source I posted, Tompkins County, which is the same as the Ithaca metro area, had a population of 87,085 according to the 1980 US census. The last time the county/now metro had a population loss in an official census was the 1910 US Census. So, it is an area that hasn't stopped growing in well over a century, as of now.
I will say that some of what you mentioned probably has to do with the city/area getting on the radar of publications, etc., which I did mention and may be the bigger point in terms of why you feel the way you do about it. That's just my personal thought though.
Thanks for that. I don't know what you mean by "on the radar" of "publications." I know it is a town with two institutions of higher learning stuffed full of professors (and some students) that they force to publish. I would assume therefore, that Ithaca is an epicenter of published scholarly works and has been for a long time.
As far as the census and related data, to me it is useless without context. Even with context, I don't see how it is useful. E.g., ~14k net people moved to or were born in Ithaca in 40 years. So, a bunch of people had babies (as we tend to do regardless of geography; making most of the data a wash) and a few people moved there each year. It's a useless comment that dilutes the content of the site in my opinion. This is a national site with readers across the USA and perhaps a few beyond. If you really wanted to draw interesting conclusions you would establish a baseline (average US population growth) and then compare UNY geographies against the baseline. Wouldn't that be more interesting and informative than stating in isolation that ~14k people moved to or were born in Ithaca in 40 years?
Thanks for that. I don't know what you mean by "on the radar" of "publications." I know it is a town with two institutions of higher learning stuffed full of professors (and some students) that they force to publish. I would assume therefore, that Ithaca is an epicenter of published scholarly works and has been for a long time.
As far as the census and related data, to me it is useless without context. Even with context, I don't see how it is useful. E.g., ~14k net people moved to or were born in Ithaca in 40 years. So, a bunch of people had babies (as we tend to do regardless of geography; making most of the data a wash) and a few people moved there each year. It's a useless comment that dilutes the content of the site in my opinion. This is a national site with readers across the USA and perhaps a few beyond. If you really wanted to draw interesting conclusions you would establish a baseline (average US population growth) and then compare UNY geographies against the baseline. Wouldn't that be more interesting and informative than stating in isolation that ~14k people moved to or were born in Ithaca in 40 years?
Just food for thought.
Best,
JK
What I mean by that is that when you see those "best places" lists, Ithaca can come up on quite a few of them. In turn, it may attract a range of people to the city/area.
As for the growth, growth is still growth regardless of what you are comparing it to. To use it against a national baseline would still need context in terms of the size of areas, the type of area(think a bigger, more urban vs. more rural/small town or even small city area, the immigration aspect, etc.).
Lastly it is actually more like 18-19,000 people within the last 40 or so years, but again, this is a small area to begin with. That also has to be considered within the context, as smaller, more rural/small town, stand alone counties in much of the country have been losing people. So, that is something else to consider in terms of the area's growth.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 10-12-2023 at 07:53 AM..
Oh yeah, I know what you mean now. Those lists. Ithaca, Skaneateles, etc.
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