Comeback! - US census data

Comeback! - US census data shows that St. Paul rebounded in a big way in the 1990s.

Thanks to changing demographics — including an influx of foreign-born residents, a growth in the educated population and a sharp rise in median household income in several neighborhoods — St. Paul's ethnic and economic diversity is beginning to mirror cities in California, according to the latest 2000 census figures.

In fact, compared with other cities with populations of more than 100,000, St. Paul most closely resembles Berkeley, Calif., says Mark Vander Schaaf of the city's Department of Planning and Economic Development..

Oh, good Lord, let's hope we're smarter than that.

It's worth noting that I moved back to St. Paul in 1990. Coincidence? You be the judge.