Census reveals surprising data about living here
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

The latest census figures show Calabasas with a population of 20,033, but there are signs on the 101 Freeway listing the city’s population as 27,000.

Where did everyone go?

Actually, nowhere, according to the Calabasas Planning Department.

The great mystery over how many people live in Calabasas isn’t such a mystery afterall.

The last census was taken in 1990, the year before Calabasas officially became a city. California cities that incorporated after the ‘90 census were allowed to determine their population using one of two methods: Take an estimated body count––the first Calabasas General Plan said 18,527 people lived in the city––or multiply the number of the city’s registered voters at the time of incorporation by three.

Calabasas had almost 9,000 voters registered for the cityhood issue.

"The benefit of us incorporating after the 1990 census was state law said cities incorporating after the … census had a choice of which option to use," Persico said. "In our case, because we had had such a high voter participation rate, it was to our advantage to use the three times the registered voters."

Westlake Village went through similar circumstances to determine its population upon incorporating in 1981.

"As a general rule for new cities, the population numbers seem to be inflated because of that formula," said Ray Taylor, Westlake Village city manager.

The census, which began in the United States in 1790, has helped city, state and federal governments plan a wide range of services such as where to build homes, streets and hospitals. Statistics gleaned from the census help businesses and nonprofit agencies determine where services are needed and how legislative districts should be reapportioned.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported the nation grew from 248.7 million in 1990 to 281.4 million last year, the largest 10-year population growth in the country’s history.

The census also serves as a data gathering mechanism to ensure accurate distribution of resources under a wide range of federal, state and local government programs. More than $100 million in federal funds alone are allocated each year based on census data. All cities rely on the census to justify their share of state revenue, federal Community Development Block Grants and other tax monies.

Using 27,000 as its population instead of 18,527, Calabasas was able to gain a huge advantage in federal and state funding pass-throughs, Persico said.

Calabasas receives about $65 a year for each resident in the city from federal, state and county sources, but the dollars would have been cut almost in half had the lower population figure been applied. The city used the extra money toward roads, parks and other programs, and building a healthy budget reserve.

The 8.1 percent increase in population growth for Calabasas is more than Agoura Hills, but less than Westlake Village, the new data show.

Agoura Hills posted a mere 0.7 percent gain to 20,537.

About 30 percent of the Agoura Hills residents are under 18 years of age, almost the same as Calabasas, compared to only 24 percent in Westlake Village, a city known for having more elderly residents.

Overall, Westlake Village grew 12.2 percent from 7,455 to 8,368. The city’s under-18 population actually increased. It was only 21 percent in 1990.

The population in Oak Park declined 3.81 percent to 2,320.

While the local communities remain predominantly white, Thousand Oaks, which showed a 12.1 percent gain in population to 117,005, saw the number of Hispanics living in the city rise 53 percent to 15,328.

Hidden Hills, followed by Malibu, Westlake Village, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach are the cities with the highest percentage of whites in Los Angeles County.

California added 4 million more people over the last 10 years to help make the West the fastest growing region in the country. The South is second.

Nevada was the fastest growing state in the union, up 66 percent, followed by Arizona, up 40 percent, and Colorado, up 31 percent.

Georgia grew the fastest in the South, Minnesota in the Midwest and New Hampshire in the Northeast.