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Date: 8/31/2021
SPRINGFIELD/CHICOPEE – Area legislators say the information provided by the 2020 Census largely met expectations.
While initially delayed, the U.S. Census Bureau released population data that will be vital to redistricting that could take place for local as well as Congressional districts.
Overall during the past 10 years, Massachusetts experienced a 482,288-person increase in population, representing 7.4 percent jump to just over 7 million residents.
Springfield experienced a 1.9 percent increase in population, and Chicopee a smaller .5 percent incrase from the last census, but Hampden County continues to dip in population with a 3.4 percent decrease – despite the state’s 7.4 percent growth.
While Rep. Joseph Wagner was not surprised by any of the initial data, he stressed the significance of analyzing the data to its fullest extent. “We need to take the data we have and hold it up against existing precincts. We need to know what it looks like in a real time context,” said Wagner. According to Wagner, the Census data information will have more practicality after its applied on a more finite level.
Rep. Michael Finn analyzed the varied growths and decreases throughout Mass. Finn said he was surprised by the 9.4 percent growth in the Boston area. While Finn said he is encouraged by the growth, he believes that the state needs to make a cognition effort to keep the state growing in each district.
“We have a lot of great things going for [the state.] We have world class hospital systems, education and institutions, but we can’t just rely on that to bring more people up to Mass,” said Finn. Finn’s analysis is in response to the population decrease in Berkshire County, with the area losing over 2,000 citizens since the last Census.
In terms of redistricting, Finn explained that the Berkshire decrease will likely lead to him picking up another precinct in the Springfield area. He said he was down about 2,500 people from the last census.
Wagner explained the complications that come from redistricting, stating that the number of Congressional seats will not go down due to the state’s population increase. However, the uneven growth across the state will force local Congressman Richard Neal and Jim McGovern to pick up more population. “Because the state population is up, every Congressman is going to have to pick up more population,” said Wagner. Wagner said he’s unsure how the population discrepancy will be addressed.
For Western Massachusetts senators and representatives, Wagner said the disproportionate growth will still lead to an increase in population for each district. This creates a complex situation that impacts the symbiosis of the different districts. “It’s like a puzzle where you have to get all the pieces to fit together, but whatever you do to a particular district will impact every contiguous district,” said Wagner. Wagner said he will pick up around 3,000 people for his district.
As far as the growth of cities like Springfield goes, Congressman Richard Neal supports their continued growth. “I do think in the aftermath of the pandemic, there was evidence that urban areas began to grow,” said Neal. “I think encouraging people to live in old New England cities is a good idea if you want a healthy mixture of people.”
Both Springfield and Chicopee continue to get more diverse, with both cities experiencing an increase of Latino citizens. Springfield went from 39 percent to 47 percent in their Latino population from the last census, while Chicopee raised from 15 percent to 23 percent.
A few notable cities in Neal’s district featured a vacancy rate above 5 percent, including Holyoke, Springfield and Pittsfield. When asked about this, Neal described urban housing as being a complicated matter.
“I think it’s best described as income-elastic,” said Neal, regarding housing in these areas. “It is also linked to other amenities that attract people to live in urban areas.”
Neal added that the convenience of the highway service oftentimes allows people to live outside of the city while still benefiting from the core services that the cities can provide. “I think in terms of housing, the best way to look at that should be musical chairs, but everybody gets a chair,” the Congressman said.
Reminder Publishing reached out to Rep. Carlos González but did not receive a response by press time.
Staff Writer Ryan Feyre contributed to this article.