The ADG (subscription required) this morning reports that Pine Bluff, which fell below 50,000 in population according to the 2010 census, will lose $750,000 in state turnback funds. Pine Bluff's population dropped 11 percent in the past decade. The question has been what would happen to a MSMA if it fell below the magic 50,000 number. This is the answer. However, the city recently approved a sales tax increase, which will fill in the gap in lost state or federal funds.

Talking about the 2010 census, the Arkansasonline site has some good interactive maps.

Today's ADG has a story (subscription required) on population losses in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County. Pine Bluff lost 10.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, putting the city's population below 50,000 people. Everyone is wondering what that does to federal money, but no one knows, because no other Arkansas city has ever fallen below 50,000 once it passed that mark. The paper claims that most of the population loss consisted of white people who moved to the towns along I-530 like White Hall, Redfield, and Sulphur Springs.

Talk Business: According to John Brummett the 2010 census reflects major shifts for Arkansas. We are no longer a rural state, we are now suburban or metropolitan. Northwest Arkansas and central Arkansas are tied as leading population centers. As a result, the 2010 election was a "sea change." Arkansas is no longer a Democratic state. It may be a swing state.

These are all huge changes that will grow and dominate the decades ahead. See Brummett's column here. I like his title: "Not Your Father's Arkansas." It's not your father's Democrat party either.

What is striking too is that the population loss for eastern and southern (especially southeast) Arkansas has continued. This migration began during and after World War II as people sought jobs in northern and western states and it has not stopped yet.

I believe these population trends will more closely tie Arkansas with the culture of the Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains, leaving behind the Delta and the southern counties.

You can look over the 2010 census data on the census bureau's site.

The 2010 Arkansas population census

ADG: The 2010 census for Arkansas is out. The state gained population overall (+9.1 percent), but the trends of the past few years persist. The northwest counties and central Arkansas have gained, but the Delta counties and southern counties lost people in the past decade. Pine Bluff for the first time has fallen below 50,000, a critical cutoff for federal monies, but it's not clear what that means.

It's not clear what can turn the Delta around. After so many efforts, nothing has worked. The Delta and south Arkansas were big agricultural regions 50 years ago, but since then small farmers have disappeared. The truth is that rural Arkansas was overpopulated. Too many people were trying to farm too little land per farm. This was unsustainable, and of course here we see the result. Agricultural mechanization after World War II did not cause the population loss; it was the result of it. We could not have agriculture in the Delta today without machines. No way.

The paper has a good map showing population shifts in detail. The county with the largest loss is Monroe in eastern Arkansas, losing 20.5 percent.

Talk Business has a post with a map. See the Census Bureau's site.

Michael Barone: The recent census shows that states without an income tax have had the fastest growth.

Not surprising, but these states extract their tax coin some way or another. 

Population changes

To me, the most interesting news lately has come from the census bureau. Our population is moving south and west. This is not news really, but the long-term trend is definitely unchanged. People are also moving to states with lower taxes and less government spending. They are voting with their feet. They are also moving to states that are more likely to have "Right to Work" laws. See here.

Talk Business: According to the new 2010 census Arkansas has almost 3 million people -- or 2,926,229. This is an increase of 9.1 percent from 2000. The U.S. population is over 300 million.

The political implications are enormous. The states that are set to gain representation tend to lean Republican. The states that will lose Congressional seats are typically Democrat. 

Many people see census takers as the embodiment of an intrusive government.

Have you seen your census taker yet? Try this approach.

Juan Williams on controversies over the 2010 census. No one wants to be under counted.