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It’s ever so slight, but state estimates show that population in the city of Ely is larger than it was in 2020.
During Tuesday’s regular city council meeting, council members reviewed updated census numbers that showed Ely’s population at 3,249.
That’s 40 more people than the 2020 census estimate of 3,209.
The estimates drew little council discussion, and clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski was unsure of the numbers and offered that the latest estimate actually showed a slight decline.
But in fact, the population estimate, which was provided to reflect population as of April 1, 2023, is actually a shade over one percent larger than the census total three years earlier.
It may indeed be the first time in decades that Ely has shown growth in population.
For decades, Ely has shown a slow but steady decline.
According to U.S. Census data, population in Ely fell from 3,460 in 2010 to 3,209 in 2020.
The 251-person drop in population amounted to a 7.2 percent decline, and dating back a half century the city’s population has tumbled by over 40 percent, from roughly 5,400 in 1970.
At the time of the most recent census, some at City Hall questioned whether Ely was undercounted, and the latest numbers from the state demographer show a reversal in the population declines that have been prevalent.
Official census numbers are released once every 10 years and are used by the government to determine county, state legislative and Congressional districts. The data is also key in dividing federal and state funds that are determined by population.
E ly’s population also dipped seven percent from 2000 to 2010, going from 3,724 to 3,460.
In 1990, Ely’s population was certified at 3,968.
