Springdale : City’s Hispanic tally doubles
Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006
SPRINGDALE - The Hispanic population in Springdale doubled from 2000 to 2005 and now makes up one third of Springdale's total population of 62, 459, according to figures released Friday by the U. S. Census Bureau. In 2000, Hispanics accounted for 20 percent of Springdale's population, then 45, 798.
"Wow, that's interesting,"said R. Shawn McGrew, former director of the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "Springdale has been a growing place for Latinos."
Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose said he wasn't surprised that Hispanics made up one third of the population count.
"I fully expected it to be a little over 30 percent just based on the trends that have been going on before now,"Van Hoose said.
Wyman Morgan, Springdale's director of administrative and financial services, credited local, temporary employees of the Census Bureau who conducted doorto-door interviews and proxy counts to obtain information from some illegal immigrants.
"We had some excellent Hispanic workers that were real good talking to Hispanics to get them to talk to us,"Morgan said.
Springdale paid the Census Bureau $ 757, 613. 63 to conduct a special census from October to December. The figures released Friday are its certified results and are expected to increase Springdale's state turnback revenue by more than $ 1 million annually until new population figures are certified after the 2010 U. S. Census.
Springdale added 16, 691 residents between 2000 and 2005, a 36. 4 percent increase. The median age of residents dropped from 31 to 29 and the number of occupied housing units increased from 16, 962 to 20, 859. Less than a generation ago, Hispanics began coming to Northwest Arkansas for jobs and other opportunities, McGrew said. Friday's population news is just further evidence of the natural progression as Hispanics become more invested in the region. Springdale and Rogers have each particularly embraced Hispanic culture and families, McGrew said. "Northwest Arkansas is always ahead of the curve,"he said. "It's been a little more embracing at a quicker speed with the ability to welcome and share different cultures and blend them together."Hispanics have been drawn to Northwest Arkansas cities because of jobs and quality of life issues, said McGrew, who added that neighborhoods in Rogers and Springdale "aren't as rough"as some larger urban cities. "Yeah, you have lower income areas, but it's nothing like what we call the 'barrio' back home,"Mc-Grew said. Van Hoose said he was glad to learn that the Census count was closer to his fall prediction of 62, 300 than the bureau's December count of 62, 050. "I'm even closer now,"Van Hoose said.
To contact this reporter: cmorasch@arkansasonline. com
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