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Monday, June 26, 2023  09:00 AM  (59)

Census Population Characteristics - 2022

Last week the Census Bureau released new population estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin for counties across the United States. These latest estimates reflect the population as of July 1, 2022. Estimates of the total population for counties as of July 1, 2022, were released earlier this year. These latest estimates give greater detail on the characteristics of the population as of mid-2022, and changes that have taken place since the completion of the 2020 Decennial Census which reflects the population as of April 1, 2020. 

Here the county-level data released by the Census Bureau has been aggregated to provide a summary of population and population change for the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) comprised of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

As previously reported, the Pittsburgh region's overall population is estimated to have declined by 0.9% between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2022. With the exception of the oldest-old (age 85 and over) population, the Pittsburgh region experienced an increase in the size of all age groups over the age of 65.  The largest population declines were concentrated in age groups between the ages of 45 and 65. Some estimated gains occurred for the population between the ages of 35-44 and for the population between the ages of 20-24. All age groups under the age of 20 experienced decline over this period.

Regional population shifts are also not even across race and ethnicity. While the White-alone population in the region is estimated to have declined by 1.4% over this period, the Black-alone population is estimated to have declined by 0.2% and the Asian-alone population increased by 4.7%. The region's Hispanic population is estimated to have one of the largest proportional increases, growing by 7.8% over the 27-month period. These patterns shift slightly when looking at multi-racial populations. For example, while the Black-alone population is estimated to have experienced a slight regional decline, the population that is either Black alone, or Black in combination with another race is estimated to have increased by 0.7% over this period.     

The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP) produces annual estimates of the population for the United States, its states, counties, and for all municipalities within Pennsylvania. PEP annually utilizes current data on births, deaths, and migration to calculate population change since the most recent decennial census and produces a time series of estimates of population, demographic components of change, and housing units. The annual time series of estimates begin with the most recent decennial census data and extends to the vintage year. most recent decennial census, which serves as the benchmark count. 

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Additional information:

More information on the Census Bureau's annual population estimates are available here: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/about.html

The Pennsylvania State Data Center has a research brief on what these latest estimates show for Pennsylvania: https://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/sdc/pasdc_files/researchbriefs/June_PopEst_2023.pdf

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