I agree but think that combining these lower popularity lots that serve niche purposes is a good idea with the current amount of players. For instance, the Welcome lots could be combined with Service lots, allowing people to a welcome service. There doesn't need to be a whole category of lots for welcoming new players with a population this low. As this post suggests, you could combine Casino lots with Entertainment lots and have nightclub/casinos, which would bring in more people to those lots instead of a people currently running massive night clubs with 2 visitors. Romance and Offbeat could be combined since a romance lot is already off the beaten path of the regular game.
I think a lot of life could be breathed into this game even with its current population. By having less categories, the small population would not be as spread out as it is currently is. You could mingle with the night clubs guests while you gamble your hard earned money away in the casino. You could host a popular wedding chapel in the offbeat category and bring some life back to Offbeat lots and still have Romance lots in one move. It will make the game more welcoming to new people who want to check things out but are kind of shy and don't want to be the guest on the lot.