New census data shows that Motor City may not be the Blackest city in America anymore.
There has been a population decline in Detroit, Detroit Free Press reports, and while the city’s Mayor, Mike Duggan, is unhappy with the new report, he may have to live with that reality. Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates showing Memphis, Tennessee, surpassing the home of Motown with 621,056 residents—with Detroit standing at 620,376 as of July 2022.
After 40 years, Memphis could now be considered the country’s largest majority-Black city, outgrowing Detroit by roughly 680 residents.
It’s been a great run for the midwestern city. The c
ity has been filled with one of the larger populations of Black residents than other heavily populated Black cities since 1980. However, experts say it is not set in stone yet, as these are just estimates and should be looked at with caution. The margins are super tight separating the two cities, and new political challenges could increase the population in D-town. Demographer and founder of Data Driven Detroit, Kurt Metzger, says those factors could keep the city on the throne. “Every estimate has to be taken with several grains of salt. “We may be bigger than Memphis right now,” Metzger said.“I would predict that we will be bigger than Memphis next year.”
Duggan called the U.S. Census a “clown show” and claimed the census is undercounting. According to the Michigan Advance, the mayor says the U.S. Postal Service reported an increase of 6,300 residential homes in the city since 2021. “The only
people in America who could conclude that Detroit’s population is decreasing is the Census Bureau,” Duggan said. “Maybe it’s time to move the Census Bureau under the U.S. Postal Service so it will be run by people who actually have some clue about who is living where in America.”Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) supported the mayor’s claims and joined Duggan’s call for a more accurate count.