Census Releases Biggest Metro/County Growers (2010-2011)

[jimrtex]

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-55.html

This got mentioned in the Columbus Dispatch this week so I thought I'd post it here for all to enjoy.  Let the 2020 speculation begin!

First thoughts: Will the North Dakota energy boom send the state over 750,000 this decade?

It is interesting that Dallas County, Iowa is one of the fastest growing counties (5%).  It is the county west of Polk (Des Moines) and must have just the right position to not have much of a population base but right in the suburban growth path.

Between 1890 and 1990 (a century) the county increased from about 20,000 to 30,000, including 0.8% in the 1980s.   It increased to about 41,000 in 2000 (+37%), and 66,000 in 2010 (+62%).

I saw some headlines, but that didn't really follow-up that claimed that exurban areas were declining or maybe the growth was slowing.  I wonder what examples they used.

[jimrtex]

The biggest loser was Blaine County, Oklahoma, west northwest of Oklahoma City.  It lost 18.6% of its population to fall below 10,000.  I'm not sure why.  Most of whatever happened happened in between the 2010 census and the 2010 census estimate.

Watonga faces adjustments with prison's closure

[jimrtex]

It is interesting that Dallas County, Iowa is one of the fastest growing counties (5%).  It is the county west of Polk (Des Moines) and must have just the right position to not have much of a population base but right in the suburban growth path.

Between 1890 and 1990 (a century) the county increased from about 20,000 to 30,000, including 0.8% in the 1980s.   It increased to about 41,000 in 2000 (+37%), and 66,000 in 2010 (+62%).

The county boundary comes down 142 , so you've just got development lapping over the county line.   But the the boundary jogs a mile or so east on University (the Des Moines Country Club is in Dallas County.   I-35 loops around the north-east of Des Moines and is less than a mile east of the the county line.

It looks like about a 2-mile wide settlement strip along the eastern edge of the county, with some growth around Waukee.   So it really is an almost perfect case of a city lapping over a jurisdiction line.

Des Moines itself is toward the southwestern part of Polk County, with the preferred growth direction ending up being west from the Des Moines River rather than to the east.

[jimrtex]

I put up Waukee, because it is the fastest growing town in Iowa.  I have been waiting all my life for Des Moines Metro growth to impinge on Madison County (where the family farm is located). I'm still waiting.

Part of the push to the west (other than chicer neighborhoods tend to be built to the north and west in general due to the direction of the prevailing winds), is that the intersection of I-80 and I-35 is there, so there is a hub of businesses and hotels and such around it. I stay there when I go to Winterset, since Winterset's accommodations suck.

No wonder you don't like Michele Bachman.

Warren:Madison :: Dakota:Scott with respect to I-35, though Madison has now exceeded its 1910 population, and I doubt Scott has any tunnels.

[jimrtex]

Looks like Los Angeles County had more net domestic migration out of it than all of California, meaning the rest of California had net migration in. Riverside County gained a lot from domestic net migration and modest increases in Orange and Contra Costa County. Santa Clara lost people, which surprised me, but San Francisco and San Mateo gained people. And while Riverside was gaining 14,000 people from net domestic migration, San Bernardino only gained like half a thousand. Very interesting.

Maybe Moreno Valley is easier to get to than Victorville, and you can also get to Orange and San Diego counties directly from Riverside.

And maybe Palm Springs, etc. is less vulnerable to unemployment since retired people don't need jobs.