Monday, May 08, 2006
Pennsylvania Counties Shrinking
The Census Bureau report on domestic migration shows that 34 Pennsylvania counties lost population due to net outmigration of residents to other counties or states. The single biggest loser is Philadelphia City/County which saw over 108,000 local residents depart the City between April 2000 and July 2005. Other counties in the Southeastern part of the state have been the destination for many of the departing Philadelphians. Likewise, Monroe and Pike Counties have seen their in-migration boom continue as folks flee New York and New Jersey.
The loss of population from Philadelphia is mitigated somewhat by a high birth rate but the City is still witnessing a substantial decline in population. A migration loss of domestic citizens of the magnitude that Philadelphia is undergoing cannot bode well for the future of the City. When people are leaving a community in these numbers, it speaks volumes about the quality of life in the community including concerns over taxes, schools crime, etc.
While the outmigration of Pennsylvanians overall has slowed somewhat during the past five years, there is no solace in the fact that the two largest counties continue to experience a major outflow of citizens to other parts of the state and country.
The loss of population from Philadelphia is mitigated somewhat by a high birth rate but the City is still witnessing a substantial decline in population. A migration loss of domestic citizens of the magnitude that Philadelphia is undergoing cannot bode well for the future of the City. When people are leaving a community in these numbers, it speaks volumes about the quality of life in the community including concerns over taxes, schools crime, etc.
While the outmigration of Pennsylvanians overall has slowed somewhat during the past five years, there is no solace in the fact that the two largest counties continue to experience a major outflow of citizens to other parts of the state and country.
