With the massive treasure trove of U.S. Census data released last week, statistics reveal how older, established Long Island residents are being supplemented by a growing immigrant population.
Long-term residents are “getting older and moving to warmer climates,” said Hofstra University economics professor Martin Melkonian, who has parsed the census’s American Community Survey figures, culled from 2005 to 2009 sampling. “Without the influence of new immigrants, the Island would have seen a decline in its population and a decline in its economic viability.”
Compared to the 2000 census, the estimated population is up about 20,000 to 1.35 million in Nassau County and almost 100,000 to 1.51 million in Suffolk County. In Nassau County, Hispanics and Asians now comprise 12.2 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively. In Suffolk County, it’s 13.2 percent and 3.4 percent.
Melkonian said that nativist sentiment and the continued economic crisis could lead to increased community tension in years to come.
Political clout at stake
Today, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its 2010 national and state population data that determines seat allocation for the U.S. House of Representatives. New York is expected to lose one or two seats due to the continued Sunbelt population explosion.
