When the official census population numbers for New York City fell below estimates, some cried foul.  In his latest Gotham Gazette column, Social Explorer’s Andrew Beveridge addresses Mayor Bloomberg’s claim that the Census undercounted New York City.

In “Census Wounded City’s Pride but Probably Got the Numbers Right,” Beveridge writes:

The 2010 census poured cold water on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s rosy view that New York City would hit 9 million long before 2030. The census found that, instead of growing to 8,421,789 residents as the census estimated just a few days before the official numbers were released, New York City had only 8,175,153 residents, some 246,636 less than expected.

The estimated brisk growth pace of 5.2 percent since 2000, suddenly became a phlegmatic 2.1 percent. Indeed, if present trends continue New York City will not make it to 9 million until sometime in the decade of 2050. In short, the growth rate, if correct, means that many of the enthusiastic proclamations about the city’s unique growth and its attractiveness as a place to live are simply wrong.

Beveridge takes on the main criticisms of the count:

Were occupied housing units misclassified as vacant?

“New York City, along with the rest of the United States, experienced a housing bubble and still working through the extra units that were constructed during that bubble. So the vacancies may be real, unless New York City experienced growth unlike any city in the country.”

Were immigrants undercounted?

“Of course some immigrants were missed, but it is also true that immigration of all sorts slowed during the financial crisis. It may be that New York’s immigrant fueled growth may have tapered off.”

Beveridge also explains the consequences of a possible census overcount in 2000 and undercount in 1990.

Like cities around the nation, New York experienced slower growth after 9/11 and the financial crisis.  Unlike other cities, New York managed to grow, just not as much as some expected.

Click here to read the full article.

In addition to offering nationwide census tract data for the 2010 census, Social Explorer now offers 2010 block group data.

Block groups are smaller than census tracts–with about three block groups per tract–enabling users to access a new level of detailed information.

As an example, here you can see 2010 vacancy rates in the West Village of Manhattan at the tract level:

And the block group level:

Check out Social Explorer’s mapping and reporting tools to explore these new data, or click here to learn more about subscribing.

Social Explorer lets users dig through all kinds of demographic and environmental data.  In honor of Earth Day, you can take a look at carbon emissions data.  This data comes from a collaboration with the Vulcan Project, a NASA/Department of Energy funded effort based at Purdue University.  The Vulcan Project has quantified US fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at space and time scales much finer than has been achieved in the past.

Carbon Emissions Data (2002)

Social Explorer users can explore carbon emissions data for 2002 here (or click the map) too look at emissions around the nation and in your own town.

With American Community Survey data, you can also look at home heating fuels.  Here is a map of where solar energy is used.

Solar Energy Use (American Community Survey 2005-09)

As you can see, this isn’t a widely-used resource yet, but if you click around the map you can see pockets of solar energy in states like Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and even Illinois.

Check out the data behind the environmental policy debates, and then do something nice for the planet on Earth Day (and every day).

A new feature on Remapping Debate shows that though the US may be becoming more diverse, we are still living apart.  In “New maps show segregation alive and well,” Remapping Debate followed up on an earlier examination of segregation patterns to reveal that these patterns persist.  (You can read more about the original post here, which was featured on The Huffington Post.)

Working with tools provided by Social Explorer, Remapping Debate released interactive maps that can zoom down to the Census Block Group level anywhere in the US, showing the high concentration of segregated neighborhoods.

Social Explorer segregation map from Remapping Debate

(red areas are 0% African American and gray areas are more than 50% African American)

In the wake of Census 2010, media attention has focused on the slow trend towards less segregation for African-Americans that has continued in the last 10 years. But demographic experts agree that segregation in the United States is still alive and well.  And Remapping Debate’s new maps provide vivid proof that a substantial increase in diversity in the nation overall is not mirrored by the demographics of the segregated neighborhoods in which most Americans live.

Social Explorer map showing segregation along Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, NY

Social Explorer is having an 80s party, specifically a data party.  This week, Social Explorer unveiled a new and improved reporting system for 1980 data.  This upgrade offers a more flexible interface for users that is more consistent with other decades.  We now include virtually all of the major data released for 1980, not just a selection.

Social Explorer also released a new map client with the ability to export a map image in a variety of resolutions (great for printing and sharing images).  Over the next few months we plan to add many new features, and the new client makes this possible.

Subscribers can access these new features through the maps and the reports tabs.  Click here to find out more about subscribing for access to the latest data and all of Social Explorer’s tools and resources.

With just hours to go before a government shutdown, Social Explorer takes a look at the government workers who might be sent home.

• According to the 2009 American Community Survey, there are 4,719,312 federal government employees around the nation, representing 3.4% of the workforce.
• In the Washington, DC, metro area, federal employees make up a whopping 16.3% of the workforce.
• The median income for full-time federal workers is $57,219 nationwide and $86,310 in the DC area.

Social Explorer users can learn more about federal and other workers by visiting the reports tab.