The city of Hollister has declined in population for the first
time in at least five years, according to the most recent figures
released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Hollister – The city of Hollister has declined in population for the first time in at least five years, according to the most recent figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The 2004 population estimate, released Wednesday, recorded a 128 person decrease, dropping Hollister’s population from 36,458 to 36,330. The numbers are a big change for what used to be one of the fastest growing cities in the state.
“The only thing I can really attribute it to is the cost of homes,” said Al Martinez the director of the Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County. “We’re losing them (people) to places where they can afford to live.”
Despite the fact that housing is generally more expensive in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, Hollister’s northern neighbors continue to grow at fairly stable rates, ostensibly due to a stronger job market. Mayor Pauline Valdivia, however, suggested that the city’s population can’t grow if the city is not allowed to grow physically.
“I can hardly wait to see the (sewer) moratorium lifted so we can start moving again,” she said. ” But it has to be done correctly. It’s getting bad, though. We have firefighters and policemen working for the city who commute here every day.”
In contrast, the same figures announced San Jose as the new 10th largest city in the nation, bumping Detroit back to 11. Gilroy and Morgan Hill also registered increases.
While the national census is compiled once every decade, the Bureau has been required since 2000 to put together an annual city population report to help government agencies allocate funding. Prior to 2000, the report was done on a county-by-county basis.
