The Census is Here! The Census is Here!

The Census is here!  The Census is here!

The Census Bureau published Ohio's 2010 Census numbers today and I'm reminded of a scene from The Jerk with Steve Martin's character, Navin Johnson, when the phonebook arrives.

Economic development people have reasons to be excited about census reports more than the average person.

Like with that scene for those familiar with it, the Census can bring mixed news.

I'd say, for Licking County, the news is fairly upbeat though.

Here's my quick-glance interpretation:

- With a 166,492 population count, Licking County has exceeded earlier projections. In fact, the 2010 estimate reported on Tuesday of this week still showed the county below 160,000 population.

- Only 10 counties in Ohio had 10% or greater population growth since 2000.  Licking County was one of them.

- The 14.4% population gain pushed Licking County to 17th, up one from 2000, on the ranking of most populous Ohio counties.

- The City of Newark's 2.8% gain in population pushed it to 20th on the ranking of most populous Ohio cities.  Newark was one of only four cities on the top 20 list that actually grew in population.

- Heath's population jumped to over 10,000. 

- The Village of Granville is no longer.  It's 5,646 population far exceeds the level at which Ohio law classifies a municipality as a city.

- Fear population growth?  Consider this.  The County's density is merely 243 persons per square mile.  Compare that to neighboring Franklin County at 2,186.  We still have room to grow.

More later.

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UPDATE:  I've been corrected.  News reports indicate the likelihood is that Granville will remain a village.  Ohio law allows the exclusion of college students (and prisoners) from a community's population count as the trigger for city vs. village municipal status.