Dutchess diversity, population grows

Teddy Eismeier. The Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: Aug 9, 2007. pg. A.1

Copyright 2007 - Poughkeepsie Journal NY - All Rights Reverved

Dutchess County continues to grow steadily, becoming more diverse in the last six years, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since 2000, about 15,000 new people have swelled the county's population to 295,146 people in 2006, according to the data released today.

"Even though there's been an influx of people, I think things have still been pretty good around here," LaGrange resident Gordon Tetro said in the City of Poughkeepsie on Wednesday.

Local population markers have steadily increased in the last six years, but minority communities have grown the most quickly, according to the data. The fastest-growing segment of the population was the Hispanic community, which went from 18,060 in 2000 to 24,879 in 2006.

The increase in Hispanic residents - from Puerto Rico, Guatemala and Oaxaca, Mexico, among other places -accounted for nearly half of the county's overall growth.

Rebecca Simmons has lived in Poughkeepsie since 1988.

"I don't think it's fair to say that it's worse after people moved here, but people do bring their issues with them. [The city] has made a great effort in dealing with the diversity. There are many more programs offered now because of the Latino population," she said.

Several institutions offer English as a second language course. Last month, a Latin-American festival was held in Beacon, followed days later by a Caribbean culture festival in Poughkeepsie.

Not everyone was happy about the overall growing population of the county.

"I think it's a bad thing that the population has grown," Poughkeepsie resident Samuel Grissett said. "I think that the growing population is causing more crime with gang people moving in from other places."

Reach Teddy Eismeier at teismeie@poughkee.gannett.com or 845-451-4599.

Census data

Total Dutchess County

population:

2000: 280,150

2006: 295,146

Total white population:

2000: 241,263

2006: 249,989

Total black population:

2000: 27,434

2006: 30,167

Total Asian population:

2000: 7,206

2006: 9,713

Total Hispanic population:

2000: 18,060

2006: 24,879

On the Web

To see more Census data, go to www.census.gov