Census Bureau admits goof in Norfolk population figures

NORFOLK

Rest easy, citizens of West Ghent: The 2010 census invasion of your neighborhood is over.

The 19,279 people mistakenly assigned to a corner of West Ghent by census officials have been picked up and moved to where they belong - Norfolk Naval Station.

That means the quiet, industrial section of the Norfolk neighborhood is free to go back to having 2.34 people per home, rather than more than 200. And that section of the neighborhood's reported 8,300 percent growth rate instead shrinks to a loss of five people in the past decade.

The change doesn't affect Norfolk's total population count of 242,803.

It was by far the biggest counting error discovered statewide in the preliminary census figures announced earlier this month, said Jack Austin of the state Division of Legislative Services.

In a letter to Mayor Paul Fraim, Census Director Robert Groves said the problem was that every ship ported at the naval station was placed in the wrong census block.

That inflated the population of West Ghent to more than 22,000 people, making it the largest census tract in the city. In addition, the population had demographics unusual for the neighborhood - they were extremely racially diverse, unlike the rest of West Ghent, and contained almost no one under the age of 18.

When the 2010 census count was released in early February, the unusual numbers caught the eye of analysts across the state. City and state officials use the census counts to redraw political district lines and to determine social service funding, plan transportation and anticipate citizen needs.

The 19,000 additional people represent more than 20 percent of a state House district, officials said.

That made it impossible to start redrawing legislative lines - or start analyzing the city's growth at all - without the census making its change.

The shift of Navy personnel will affect four state legislative districts: two in the House of Delegates and two in the Senate, all represented by Democrats.

The miscounted sailors will be moved from the 80th House District, represented by Del. Matthew James, to the 100th District, represented by Del. Lynwood Lewis.

In the Senate, they will be shifted from the 5th District, represented by Sen. Yvonne Miller, to the 6th District, represented by Sen. Ralph Northam.

All of those districts will still be below the ideal population required under one-person, one-vote guidelines. But Lewis' and Northam's districts will not be as far out of whack as they appeared based on the preliminary data.

The counting error will not affect congressional redistricting.

Dan Neumann, West Ghent Civic League President, said the neighborhood had some fun with the news of the census blunder.

"We certainly knew West Ghent was a popular place to live, but we didn't realize that popular," he said.

"Mistakes happen. You have to have some excitement in the neighborhood; I guess this is the kind of excitement you'd want."

Pilot writer Bill Sizemore contributed to this report.

Meghan Hoyer, (757) 446-2293, meghan.hoyer@pilotonline.com