SP flexes some surprising population growth muscles in state estimates
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: January 02, 2013
Santa Paula flexed some surprising muscles in the state’s latest release of estimated populations, ranking 46th overall for growth among the state’s 481 cities.
The California Department of Finance estimates are based on a variety of sources, including birth, death, income tax and driver’s license data.
This year’s estimates showed Santa Paula also had the highest growth rate in Ventura County at 1.42 percent, more than double the countywide average. The local population was estimated to have gained 418 residents, pushing Santa Paula’s residents from 29,464 to 29,882.
By comparison, Ventura County’s population inched up less than half a percentage point in the 2011-12 fiscal year, at 0.47 percent the lowest growth rate in seven years. Ventura County, with an estimated 834,109 residents, remained the 12th largest of California’s 58 counties. The county added 3,894 residents from July 2011 to July 2012.
California grew by 0.7 percent and totaled more than 37.8 million people as of the July 1 estimate cutoff. Interestingly enough, Santa Paula is listed as the 238th city size-wise meaning it’s almost right in the middle of the state’s 481 cities’ population lineup.
Elsewhere in the county the City of Ventura grew 0.088 percent to 107,166; it was ranked 138th in growth. Thousand Oaks ranked 253rd in growth, adding 0.60 residents for an estimated population of 128,031.
Port Hueneme ranked 257th in growth and its 0.59 increase in residents brought its estimated population to 21,682. Moorpark’s 0.57 population increase of residents added up to 34,826 and made the city rank 264th in growth. Oxnard followed Moorpark on the growth rate chart ranking 265th, but its estimated population of 200,390 - an 0.56 percent increase - kept it the county’s largest city.
The City of Ojai had a 0.55 increase, bringing its estimated population to 7,535 and placing its growth ranking at 272nd. Simi Valley’s estimated population of 125,317 was a 0.47 increase and made the city the 295th fastest growing out of the state’s 481 cities.
Camarillo and Fillmore each only grew by an estimated 0.40 percent. Camarillo ranked 303rd in population growth with 66,407 residents. Fillmore’s estimated 15,145 residents had its growth ranked at the 307th spot.
Out of the 481 California cities 414 showed population growth, two showed no change and 67 cities were thought to have lost population.
Although not on the nose, the state estimate is important to cities and counties who receive some per capita funding distributed by the state. The estimated population numbers are also utilized by various agencies for research and planning purposes.
Ventura County’s 0.47 growth rate ranked below Los Angeles County’s 0.52 percent, the largest in the state with more than 9.9 million residents. Ventura County growth rate ranked slightly higher than Santa Barbara County, which grew 0.38 percent to 427,358 residents.
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