AJC's 1999 American Jewish Year Book Reports: American Jewish Population Remains Stable, Phoenix, Arizona, Reports Largest Gain

American Jewish Committee
Friday, 8 October 1999

Phoenix, Arizona has reported the largest Jewish population gain of any community in the United States, according to the 99th edition of the American Jewish Year Book, just published by the American Jewish Committee.

The population figures reported in the 1999 yearbook showed that the total estimated Jewish population in the United States remained at 6 million, with some 46 percent of Jews living in the Northeast.

Phoenix reported a gain of 10,000, raising the total Jewish population to 60,000, or 1.8 percent of Arizona's total population. The last Jewish demographic survey in Phoenix was conducted in 1983.

The other two communities reporting the largest Jewish population gains were Tampa, Florida (5,000), and Palm Springs, California (4,150). Bridgeport, Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; and Portland, Oregon each reported gains of 3,000.

Jewish communities listed for the first time in the annual demographic survey included Postville, Iowa; Traverse City, Michigan; Joplin, Missouri; and Danville, Virginia. The increase for Traverse City was attributed to an expanding medical facility, while Postvillle is an Orthodox community established by the development of a major kosher meat-processing facility.

The community reporting the largest drop was Syracuse, New York, down by some 1,500 to 7,500.

Five communities - Dohan, Alabama; Claremont, New Hampshire; Dunkirk, New York; Goldsboro, North Carolina; and Wharton, Texas - are no longer listed because their Jewish populations have fallen below 100.

While the Northeast continues to hold the largest concentration of Jews of any region, 21 percent of American Jews live in the South, 20.9 percent in the West regions, and 11.6 percent in the Midwest.

New York remains the state with the highest Jewish concentration at 9.1 percent of its total population, followed by New Jersey at 5.8 percent, the District of Columbia at 4.8 percent, Massachusetts with 4.5 percent, and Florida with 4.3 percent.

These Jewish population estimates appear in the American Jewish Year Book article entitled "Jewish Population in the United States, 1998," prepared by Jeffrey Scheckner and Jim Schwartz of the Council of Jewish Federations and the North American Jewish Data Bank.

Population data were collected primarily by the 185 Jewish federations. Estimates from areas without federations were provided by local rabbis and other informed communal leaders.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org