Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 3/15/00
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   44

TANGI POPULATION COULD REACH 100,000 IN 2000
     HAMMOND -- Latest population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that
Tangipahoa Parish's head count is up by more than 1,300 residents.
     Economist Yu Hsing, head of Southeastern Louisiana University's General Business
Department, said that the Census Bureau's latest figures show that Tangipahoa Parish had 98,285
residents in July 1999. The figure reflects a 1,342 (1.4 percent) increase from  July 1998, when
the population estimate for Tangipahoa Parish was 96,.943.  The Census Bureau's figures can be
broken down into 1,607 births, 961 deaths, net domestic migration of 694, and net international
migration of 11.
     "It appears Tangipahoa may reach the 100,000 mark by the end of the year 2000," Hsing
said.
     He said major factors contributing to the continual growth include 
       more emphasis on quality education
       concerted efforts of local leaders to promote the parish
       lower housing prices and cost of living
       more open space, safer neighborhoods, better environment, proximity to urban center, 
       more businesses providing adequate goods and services to household consumers.
     Hsing said that Louisiana's total population during the same period went up by 9,277 (.2
percent) to 4.372 million. 
     "A further analysis of the data indicates that Ascension and Livingston parishes had the
highest population growth rate of 3.3 percent," Hsing said. "St. Tammany Parish, with a
population of 192,945, registered the latest number increase of 4,218." 
                             -SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp00.htm