Pittsburgh is Trending Younger (Harrisburg: transfer, school districts, college)

[SteelCityRising]

I read with great interest this morning an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that profiled the decline in the city's median age from 35.5 in 2000 to 33.2 in 2010, a drop of over 2 years over the past decade.

Census finds Pittsburgh is growing younger

The article references several college students who moved here from other areas and who have become enamored by the city to the extent where they now hope to establish themselves here long-term.

Considering in 2000 Allegheny County was the second-"grayest" county in the nation this is much-welcomed news. A county with a rapidly-growing population of 20-somethings is a county that is becoming stabilized.

[Blackbeauty212]

Just confirming what we knew all along...were now at the point where inward migration along with birth are off setting deaths and retirement out migration

[Craziaskowboi]

Well, looks like the population's not the only thing that dropped after all!

[Picksburg Stillers]

Not really surprising considering that the census counts college students for the city where they go to school and college enrollment has been increasing pretty much every year while the elderly are moving away to the Sun Belt or dying.

[raubre]

Good news! Of course, I wish I was getting younger, lol.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by Picksburg Stillers

Not really surprising considering that the census counts college students for the city where they go to school and college enrollment has been increasing pretty much every year while the elderly are moving away to the Sun Belt or dying.

I've got to think this has less to do with college students and more to do with the latter. I also think there have been many young people/couples in their late 20s through early 40s who have decided to stay or move back here. The grass is not always greener elsewhere, as I found when I moved away for a few years.

Also, with the number of young people staying, there seems to be a big bump in births going on right now. Not only do we see a lot of friends having babies, but local delivery wards have been operating at full tilt lately (what we were told when our daughter was born in March). Perhaps this will further draw down the average at the next census.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by trlstreet

I've got to think this has less to do with college students and more to do with the latter. I also think there have been many young people/couples in their late 20s through early 40s who have decided to stay or move back here. The grass is not always greener elsewhere, as I found when I moved away for a few years.

Also, with the number of young people staying, there seems to be a big bump in births going on right now. Not only do we see a lot of friends having babies, but local delivery wards have been operating at full tilt lately (what we were told when our daughter was born in March). Perhaps this will further draw down the average at the next census.

That makes sense about the maternity wards. People in their 20's and 30's aren't leaving Pittsburgh at anywhere near the rate now they did even 10 years ago and more students who are coming here from other areas for school are staying after school.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Now we just need to figure out a way to keep the young families in the city when their kids hit school age.

[squarian]

Originally Posted by trlstreet

Now we just need to figure out a way to keep the young families in the city when their kids hit school age.

Dissolve PPS, convert all its schools to self-governing charters, and transfer its remaining functions, including authority to issue new charters, to Allegheny Intermediate Unit, providing a mechanism for all other school districts in Allegheny Co to follow the same course after referenda.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by squarian

Dissolve PPS, convert all its schools to self-governing charters, and transfer its remaining functions, including authority to issue new charters, to Allegheny Intermediate Unit, providing a mechanism for all other school districts in Allegheny Co to follow the same course after referenda.

Just curious, does the city or its citizens have the power to do this or would we need Harrisburg's approval? Has such a proposal been attempted anywhere in the country, even on a small scale.

Personally, I haven't looked at it in-depth, but my inclination is that PPS is making some progress, especially at the lower levels. The hope is obviously that as the involved, concerned parents and students age, they will have an influence on improving the high schools.

To the earlier point, I live in the city and have a young family. We have no intention of leaving the city or not utilizing PPS when my kid(s) are school age.