City Will Challenge 2010 Census Results: Bloomberg

City Will Challenge Wonky Census Results: Bloomberg

Mayor Bloomberg can't make sense of New York City's 2010 census results.

The city plans to challenge population data gathered by the census, which says New York's population is 8.175 million. Estimates by the city put the number at closer to 8.4 million.

The census results will help the feds determine how much money New York state will receive.

The census data shows Brooklyn's population ticked up only 1.6 percent, and Queens gained only 1,343 more people since 2000.

"Think about that--1,300 people over 10 years, Bloomberg said. "I'm not criticizing them, but it doesn't make any sense."

Brooklyn Borough President was more blunt.

"I'm flabbergasted," he said. "I know they made a big, big mistake."

If the feds revise the count, it would trigger a change in determining state and federal funding that's based on population, including money for schools, housing, food stamps and hospitals.

The city will submit its challenge in June.

The News notes that most of the shortfall comes in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. That could mean recent immigrants didn't fill out their census forms, or that census takers "were deterred when confronted with illegally-subdivided apartments," according to the News.

Bloomberg said he thinks census workers likely could not get in contact with immigrants, and marked their homes 'vacant'.

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