Census Shows Large Population Gains in Wards 2 and 6

• March 24th 2011

by Mark Wellborn

The U.S. Census recently released DC-specific 2010 Census data on its website.

The released data showed that Wards 2 and 6 saw the largest population jumps (16.1 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively) in the city over the last ten years; Ward 8 was the only ward that saw its population drop (-0.3 percent). Ward 2 includes neighborhoods like Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Logan Circle, Mount Vernon Square; Ward 6 encompasses Capitol Hill, the Navy Yard, Hill East and the H Street Corridor; Ward 8 includes neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River including Congress Heights and Anacostia.

The populations are listed below by ward:

• Ward 1: 76,197
• Ward 2: 79,915
• Ward 3: 77,152
• Ward 4: 75,773
• Ward 5: 74,308
• Ward 6: 76,598
• Ward 7: 71,068
• Ward 8: 70,712

The average 2010 population by ward is 75,215, and this is not an insignificant number. When a ward’s population is more than five percent above or below that average, the ward boundaries have to be redrawn. Because the population for Ward 2 is above that five percent threshold and Wards 7 and 8 are below, a ward redistricting is in order. For a complete map of population change by ward, click here.

As reported in December, DC’s population now stands at 601,723; in 2000, the city’s population was 572,059 in 2000.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/census_shows_changing_face_of_dc/3215.