Tyler Population Reached 96,451 In ’07; Could Be Close To 108,000 By CINDY MALLETTE, Staff Writer   |   Jul 11, 2008

In figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday, Tyler’s population reached 96,451 in 2007.

That’s lower than the city’s actual population, say city officials, who cite a population study the city conducted in 2005 as being more accurate. According to the study by Population and Survey Analysts, the largest demographic consulting firm in Texas, Tyler should be about the 108,000 mark.

“It’s more accurate, because we actually did a demographic study, not a population estimate, like the Census Bureau,” said Barbara Holly, the city’s planning director.

Each year, the Census Bureau releases estimated population figures for the year before, tracing all the way back to the most recent census date. When the national census was conducted in April 2000, Tyler’s population was calculated to be 83,650. In the 10 years between census dates, the bureau estimates population changes based on previous census data and administrative data gathered from government agencies and universities. According to the Census Bureau, Tyler grew by more than 2,000 individuals between 2006 and 2007.

“A lot of our growth has been in the north, with a lot of large Hispanic families moving in,” Ms. Holly said.

An accurate population count is important to the city, particularly since Tyler’s extraterritorial jurisdiction is heavily affected by whether 96,000 or 108,000 people live within the city limits. In 2005, after the city completed its demographics study, city officials expanded the ETJ from 3 to 5 miles. If the study had shown a population of less than 100,000, the ETJ would have remained at 3 miles.

Ms. Holly said Population Survey Analysts’s figures are more accurate because they take more information into consideration. For instance, the company examined the impact of an accepted statewide undercount of 1.7 percent during the 2000 census because of minorities who did not participate. According to the consultants, since Tyler has a disproportionately large minority population, the city’s undercount was estimated to be closer to 2.4 percent.

The survey company considered the annexation of single-family homes as well as the construction of new homes and apartments between 2000 and 2005. They also looked at the trend of larger families moving into existing housing as evidenced by growth in school enrollment.