The Census Bureau just released 2009 sub-county and place estimates and Social Explorer already crunched the numbers for the New York Times.  In the article “City Growth May Affect Party Control in Albany,” Sam Roberts looks at the latest population numbers for New York.  As of July, 2009, the city population now numbers 8,391,881.  The article also details the population growth in the city and suburbs, and the declines upstate.

He explains the power of demographics on politics, “Because redistricting is done on the basis of population and the city is overwhelmingly Democratic, the balance of power in Albany is likely to remain the same or perhaps shift even further in favor of the Democrats.”

In the article, Beveridge states, “Whoever ends up in charge of redistricting will find it virtually impossible to ignore the fact that the population and power shift from upstate to downstate continued unabated.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

The experts have already sized up the World Cup teams, game statistics and rivalries, but what can we learn about the fans?  In preparation for World Cup game watching, Social Explorer gives you a glimpse into populations from all over the globe.

Focusing on the US’s competitors, during last week’s tight game with Slovenia, 175,701 US residents of Slovenian ancestry likely celebrated when the game tied.  (Slovenia has been a nation since 1991, and the Census has data on Slovenians in the US starting in 2000.)

In the final game of the first round, the US will face Algeria, and US fans will share cheers and jeers with the 171,284 US residents of Other Arab ancestry.  (Because few Algerians live in the US, residents with Algerian ancestry are counted together with other smaller Arab populations as “Other Arab” and with “Other Northern Africa” for place of birth.)

Plus, have you ever wondered how many of your neighbors might be carrying a vuvuzela?

A total of 52,209 US residents are of South African ancestry.

You can use Social Explorer’s reporting tools to size up the fan scene for your World Cup team, by ancestry or place of birth, before you head to that World Cup game gathering.  (All data cited above taken from the 2006-08 American Community Survey.)

For Social Explorer’s Swedish fans and admirers, check out this news piece from Swedish TV4 featuring an interview with Social Explorer’s Andrew Beveridge talking about young women earning more than their male counterparts.

Social Explorer’s Andrew Beveridge appeared on the Brian Lehrer Show to talk all about demographic changes in the nation’s most diverse county–Queens, NY.  (He appeared on the show in March to talk about redistricting.)

You can listen to the entire segment here or on the show page.

The Brian Lehrer Show has been using Social Explorer maps to engage WNYC listeners in their Anecdotal Census project.  Join WNYC’s listeners in exploring your own neighborhood at the Brian Lehrer Show’s Anecdotal Census website.