The slide was due largely to a decline in the white population, down about 19 percent, or 165,319 people. While some white residents may have switched to the new multirace category, most by far were people who just left or died. Look at Chicago, which gained 4 percent. Total population, in fact, could be the least important indicator of the city's health. The numbers electrify an old conundrum.
People like to put the best spin on things.
It's not a good sign. You need to be out there hustling for customers. Many experts believe the bureau did a better job in 2000, particularly among minorities and immigrants. And Jeff Passel, a demographer at the nonpartisan Urban Institute in Washington, noted the bureau's annual estimates had not been great at counting immigrants. If those trends continue, the city within two or three decades could start growing again.