Good news, everybody.
According to recently released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, between July 2018 and July 2019, the population of the City of El Paso grew from 679,875 to 681,728, representing a gain of 1,853 residents, and an annual growth rate of 0.27%.
[That’s not the real source of the statistics, but you can get to the table from there.]
Since 2012, when the City of El Paso instigated a purge of the Poors, the population has grown by 6,787 residents, from 674,941 to 681,728. That’s 1%. Over seven years.
If you ignore the magic of compound growth, that’s less than one and a half tenths of one percent a year.
Less than natural growth. Less than births minus deaths.
People are leaving El Paso.
Maybe that will change, now that the pandemic is driving people out of overcrowded urban centers. Now that the siren song of the Permian oilfield jobs has been muted. Maybe people are willing to pay a little more to live in a town where there’s room to spread out. Even if there are few good jobs and the city government treats us like subjects, not citizens.
Or maybe not.