Its certainly not a given, and in all likelihood, we are still not yet the largest in the state. Jersey City would need a 15% growth rate while Newark would have a 0 to negative growth rate.

There is the possibility that we surpass Newark, in part because our growth population is more willing to be counted. That is, residents of higher incomes and higher education levels, legal residency status, and without criminal backgrounds.

On the other hand, foreclosures in Newark have been faster and more common than in Jersey City; much of the growth experienced in that city may reverse itself as people's homes are taken over by banks.

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Hahah, sounds familiar. How many people do you say this to per day?

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Good to see that your understanding of shifting demographics is rivaled only by your penchant for urban planning.

I think it is a given that, once again, you have no idea what you're talking about.

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A studio in Newark for $1900/mo!

We went through this same thing 10 years ago.

BFD.

Yea, no thanks Mr. Booker. You can keep your population title.

I think it is a given that Jersey City is the largest in the state. THe census will confirm that.

As 2010 Census nears, Jersey City eyes top spot in state

by Ralph R. Ortega/The Star-Ledger
Sunday August 02, 2009, 7:43 AM

Jersey City is No. 2, but has its eyes on the top spot.

Newark, meanwhile, is entrenched like an old champion not ready to give up its title.


Fans at All Points West Music Festival on Friday in Jersey City, which is inching its way closer to Newark in total population.

Up for grabs is the right to be known as the largest city in New Jersey and the winner will be crowned after the 2010 Census. At stake beyond those bragging rights are billions of dollars in population-based funding -- money that has both cities ramping up their efforts ahead of the count.

"It's going to be close," said Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy last month.

But Newark officials say there's no contest.

"Unless they take one of the most historic population jumps of any city in America, not just in New Jersey, they're not going to catch us," Newark Mayor Cory Booker said.

The latest population estimates show what Jersey City is up against. Newark has 278,980 residents -- a cushion of 37,866 over its Hudson County rival across Newark Bay.

Despite the long-shot odds of Jersey City coming out ahead of Newark any time soon, the Census will determine how $300 billion will be doled out by the federal government each year for a decade, starting next year, said Raul Vicente, a spokesman for the Census. That means officials across New Jersey are doing everything they can to make sure they're not under-counted

Newark's deputy mayor of Neighborhood Engagement Margarita Muñiz, in charge of Census outreach, said the city in March began organizing 30 to 40 community leaders to make contacts in the city's diverse communities, and target neighborhoods under-counted in the 2000 Census.

Healy said he appointed a special aide to oversee Jersey City's outreach. The city also will launch a televised campaign soon, urging residents to fill their Census questionnaires.

Jersey City eventually has a good chance to catch Newark, based on current estimates trends, said James W. Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

Jersey City has grown partly because of an influx of workers from New York's financial sector. Once the economic downturn ends, and the financial sector booms again, "Jersey City is going to soar," he said.

What ultimately will determine a path for Jersey City and Newark is future housing production. "Unless people have a place to live, they're not going to move into either of the communities," Hughes said.

Luxury apartments with Hudson River views, renovated brownstones in downtown and multi-family homes added thousands of housing units in Jersey City, which saw its population peak at 299,000 residents, according to the 1950 Census. (Newark topped out at 439,000 in the same count.)

In recent years, Newark has seen an almost 2 percent population increase -- attributed to cheap financing and the addition of thousands of multi-family units, loft-style apartments and two luxury high-rises downtown.

One of the high-rises, the once-vacant art deco-style 1180 Raymond Boulevard, is now a magnet for new residents after undergoing a $200 million renovation in the late 1990s. Rising 34 stories above the city, the building offers breathtaking views, a gymnasium, spa and free shuttle service to supermarkets.

Bonnie Tracy, director of ticket services at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, who temporarily moved to 1180 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after she was hired for her job in February 2007, tried later that year living in a luxury building in Manhattan. The studio apartment she said she rented in Hell's Kitchen cost Tracy $2,600 a month.

The area was noisy and crowded, Tracy said. "I much preferred Newark," she said, and moved back to 1180, where she now rents a studio for $1,900 a month.

Tracy, 62, said she likes the building's location, just a three-minute walk from her job, and its proximity to other cultural venues and public transportation. She also enjoys the view out her 17th-floor window of the gold-leaf dome at City Hall.