Census stats show EBR didn’t grow as projected

For years, East Baton Rouge Parish officials have been hopping mad every time the U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Kip Holden predicted as many as 100,000 people would move to the parish. Now the 2010 census indicates that forecast was never to be, with the data showing 27,319 more people moved into or were born in East Baton Rouge during the last decade. However, there have been no complaints, even though the numbers show Ascension and Livingston parishes both gained more residents than East Baton Rouge. Of course, there was plenty of good news to take away the sting. East Baton Rouge managed to be crowned biggest parish in Louisiana, with 440,171 residents, despite a meager 6.62% population gain. The nine-parish Capital Region, which includes EBR, moved from a mid-sized market to a major market, upping its economic development clout. And the Baton Rouge area is widely expected to gain seats in the Louisiana Legislature. “I’m not surprised,” says Holden. “I kept saying we did not have a dying city. Now we’re justified by the Census Bureau. But I still think there are more people out there that haven’t been counted.” So are there any plans to demand a recount? “We’re going to weigh all of our options,” Holden says. “The biggest thing right now is the immediate problems that come with it, like with bridges and drainage. We have bad, bad infrastructure that has to be addressed.” —Penny Font