2012 State & Metro Population Estimates (metropolitan, difference, beautiful, live)

[kdogg817]

Originally Posted by west336

This isn't from the Census...this is actually FAR less scientific.

In other words these numbers came out the back of their behinds....No one really knows the population of these metros

[west336]

Originally Posted by kdogg817

In other words these numbers came out the back of their behinds....No one really knows the population of these metros

Well, the closest thing to "knowing" is the.......Census. They actually try to count every person in a city using different methodologies, and no doubt, some extrapolations and guesstimates. It doesn't get much more scientific than the decennial Censuses though.

[beenhereandthere]

Just a matter of time....but FL will pass NY in the next 3 years....just after I was born, CA overtook NY for #1, 40 something years later....NY slips to #4.....I don't see the bg attraction towards FL at all...

[DtX4415]

Originally Posted by west336

Well, the closest thing to "knowing" is the.......Census. They actually try to count every person in a city using different methodologies, and no doubt, some extrapolations and guesstimates. It doesn't get much more scientific than the decennial Censuses though.

Too much waste and corruption for the census to be the closest thing to knowing, it's probably the least accurate way to get population estimates.

[btownboss4]

Originally Posted by DtX4415

Too much waste and corruption for the census to be the closest thing to knowing, it's probably the least accurate way to get population estimates.

the census is fine, and its not like they try to make certain cities look bigger or smaller out of spite, they try to take and accurate count of everyone.
and on undercounts, in most places it would be roughly the same because one region is not immensely more motivated than the others.

[DtX4415]

Originally Posted by btownboss4

the census is fine, and its not like they try to make certain cities look bigger or smaller out of spite, they try to take and accurate count of everyone.
and on undercounts, in most places it would be roughly the same because one region is not immensely more motivated than the others.

It's nowhere near fine, biggest problem is the use of unskilled workers
that have very little if any interest in areas related to the census, aside from just counting people and collecting some money.

[west336]

Originally Posted by DtX4415

Too much waste and corruption for the census to be the closest thing to knowing, it's probably the least accurate way to get population estimates.

What do you have against the Census?

[rnc2mbfl]

Come on people...if the Census is missing the boat, it's missing the boat on ALL of the cities, states and metros. To me, it comes out in the wash.
Oh wait....I forgot....city vs city and general US are fantasy forums.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by DtX4415

It's nowhere near fine, biggest problem is the use of unskilled workers
that have very little if any interest in areas related to the census, aside from just counting people and collecting some money.

While not all census workers were highly educated, they were all tested and the workers were chosen from the top down. With a large number of people out of work at the time there were a good portion of the workers that were more than educated enough to perform the tasks asked of them.
These people, while looking to collect some money, were also motivated and hard workers.
I am not saying all census workers were but from what I saw, being I was one of those workers, there was a diligent effort to get as thorough a count as possible.

If you don't mail back the census form they send someone out, numerous times, if after those attempts they still get no one home they go to a neighbor and attempt to get information on the people living there. If after all that there is still no count a crew leader or assistant crew leader will go out to ascertain from any notes (taken on previous visits in addition to theirs) whether the place is occupied, such as were the garbage cans out any days, cars in the driveway one day but not the other. If they take an educated guess that someone is living there but can not get a count I believe they count it as 1 person.

It is not a perfect system but there is a very strong effort to get a good count.

In addition to the above they also have mapping crews that went out before the actual census started to make sure all the homes were on the lists to be checked so that any new homes would be counted. The census workers also had the ability to add any homes the mapping crews may have missed.

Until someone figures out a better way, this is what we have.

[Unity77]

Originally Posted by DtX4415

Too much waste and corruption for the census to be the closest thing to knowing, it's probably the least accurate way to get population estimates.

I agree that census estimates are pretty much worthless, but what would you suggest the government do to remedy the process?