Census Bureau- Boston is growing not shrinking

The Associated Press

BOSTON -- The U.S. Census Bureau now says the city of Boston is growing -- not shrinking -- acknowledging it underestimated the population by more than 37,000 people.

Its new estimate puts Boston's population at 596,638, rather than 559,034, an increase by 1.3 percent since 2000 instead of a decrease of 5.1 percent, Mayor Thomas Menino said Friday.

Greg Harper, a Census Bureau demographer, said a review of housing data suggested not as many people moved away from the city as initially thought, Harper said.