By: 1812Blockhouse Staff
The increase is quite small, but the numbers are heading in the right direction.
In the recently released 2019 estimates of population for America’s cities, towns, and incorporated areas, several RIchland County communities saw some growth. These estimates come a year before release of the official 2020 census numbers, which provide a benchmark for representation and governmental programming.
According to the US Census Bureau, since 2010 populations in cities in the southern and western regions of the United States have experienced rapid growth. The South leads the way with 10 of the top 15 fastest-growing large U.S. cities, with a population of 50,000 or more.
Since the 2010 Census, the populations of large southern cities increased by an average of 11.8%. In contrast, large cities in the West grew by 9.1%, whereas large cities in the Northeast and Midwest grew by 1.5% and 3.1%, respectively.
On average, small cities and towns — those with fewer than 5,000 people — have seen uneven growth across US regions, with Midwest small towns declining by 1.7%.
The United States’ composition remains a mix of big cities and small towns. While only 4.0% (780) of all cities had a population of 50,000 or more in 2019, collectively they contained 127.7 million people out of the nation’s 328.2 million — nearly 61% of the U.S. population living in incorporated places. On the other hand, of the 19,502 cities and towns in the United States, around 76% (14,754) had fewer than 5,000 people as of July 1, 2019.
The three cities in Richland County are continuing to slowly increase in population:
Location – 2018 estimate, 2019 estimate
- Mansfield — 46538, 46599
- Shelby — 9027, 9031
- Ontario — 6078, 6084
Other estimates include:
- Lexington — 4676. 4682
- Bellville — 1896, 1931
- Plymouth — 1806, 1801
- Butler — 895, 894
- Shiloh — 618, 619
- Lucas — 593, 592
Source: US Census Bureau
