Westfield’s population jumps 22 percent, new census data shows

Results from the special U.S. Census Bureau population counts in the northern suburbs are starting to become public.

Westfield’s population has increased 22 percent since 2010, to 36,854 residents, according to the new data. The 2010 census tallied the population at 30,068.

The city's housing count also increased, from 11,209 to 14,034 — a 25 percent jump.

That represents an even bigger increase than what city officials projected last year when the Westfield City Council voted to pursue a special census.

The city budgeted $625,000 for the special census, but the actual cost was $555,046—almost $70,000 under budget., according to Westfield officials.

The new population figure should generate $1 million in new state revenue for the city until the 2020 census goes into effect.

Several state tax distributions (including the motor vehicle highway fund, cigarette and tobacco products, alcohol and riverboat waging) are based on U.S. Census data, but those population figures are only collected once every decade. In fast-growing cities, that can mean populations are grossly underestimated, and communities miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Other cities, including Carmel and Fishers, opted to conduct partial census counts that focused on certain areas that have grown since 2010. Results from those counts have not been released yet.