Posted on 09/07/2003 7:45:19 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Population figures show Sweetwater slipping fast BY JOHN REYNOLDS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Alongside its reputation as the rattlesnake capital of the world, Sweetwater has earned another, albeit unwanted, title: fastest shrinking city in Texas. 10 fastest growing cities
Statistics from the Census Bureau's city-by-city population estimates for July 1, 2002, released Thursday. The estimates were considered accurate only for cities with populations of 10,000 or greater.
City 2001 (est.) 2002 (est.) Percent Change
Leander 9,646 11,661 20.9
Cedar Park 32,325 37,764 16.8
McKinney 63,198 73,081 15.6
Frisco 41,882 47,652 13.8
Allen 51,303 57,216 11.5
Rockwall 20,103 22,334 11.1
Sachse 11,761 13,015 10.7
Corinth 13,512 11,761 10.5
The Colony 29,371 32,257 9.8
Saginaw 14,053 15,389 9.5
10 fastest shrinking cities
Sweetwater 11,122 10,937 -1.7
Nederland 17,226 17,035 -1.1
Borger 13,856 13,709 -1.1
Groves 15,569 15,414 -1.0
Port Lavaca 12,045 11,939 -0.9
Orange 18,352 18,198 -0.8
Port Neches 13,450 13,338 -0.8
Plainview 22,080 21,916 -0.7
Addison 14,207 14,117 -0.6
Pampa 17,413 17,312 -0.6
10 largest cities
City 2001 (est.) 2002 (est.) Percent Change
Houston 1,983,065 2,009,834 1.3
Dallas 1,205,897 1,211,867 0.5
San Antonio 1,170,820 1,194,222 2.0
Austin 672,974 671,873 -0.2
El Paso 570,997 577,415 1.1
Fort Worth 553,341 567,516 2.6
Arlington 342,180 349,944 2.3
Corpus Christi 276,691 278,520 0.7
Plano 233,954 238,091 1.8
Garland 218,259 219,646 0.6
Lubbock (11th) 201,879 203,715 0.9
Amarillo (14th) 174,763 177,010 1.3
According to Census Bureau estimates, Sweetwater's population declined from 11,122 in 2001 to 10,937 in 2002.
That translates to a 1.7 percent drop, placing it at the top of the list of shrinking cities in Texas.
Second on the list is the Beaumont-area town of Neder land, which shrunk by 1.1 percent. The Panhandle town of Borger also contracted by 1.1 percent.
On the South Plains, Plain view ranked eighth on the list. Its population decreased from 22,080 to 21,916, a 0.7 percent decline.
Lubbock, meanwhile, continued a trend of moderate growth, gaining 1,836 in population, according to Census Bureau estimates.
From 2001 to 2002, the Hub City expanded from 201,879 to 203,715 for a 0.9 percent gain.
By the numbers, Lubbock is the 11th largest city in the state.
Sweetwater Mayor Jay Lawrence attributed the drop in his town's population to the declining agriculture and oil industries. He also said softness in those industries makes it difficult to lure additional businesses.
"Well, I think anytime you have a population decline, it's cause for concern," he said.
When a town starts to lose residents, local school districts also feel the pinch through a declining student body. That, in turn, impacts the amount of funds the districts receive from the state, Lawrence said.
However, Lawrence cautioned against reading too much into Sweetwater's position at the top of the list. He stressed the numbers released Thursday were only an estimate.
Also, in absolute numbers, the town lost fewer people than Nederland.
Lawrence said he was heartened by the expansion of a local company that makes Geiger counters and the relocation of an aluminum smelting business from California in the past 18 months.
About 100 jobs were created between the two ventures, he said.
"We have certainly slowed the decrease," he said. "There's no reason to be alarmed, but we need to work as hard as we ever have to attract our jobs to our community."
The loss of population puts Sweetwater in the same company as some of the state's economic behemoths.
Austin lost 1,101 residents, according to Census Bureau estimates.
Nevertheless, Austin is still a place where people want to live, says downtown-area real estate broker Kevin Burns. It seems to help, though, if they don't need a job.
"A lot of it is lifestyle," Burns said, referring to two recent transplants whose jobs are still based in Boston and Houston, respectively. "They're coming because they want to live in a great place, and their jobs are coming in second."
Not everyone there was so fortunate. Austin, which grew at a brisk 4.1 percent annually during its tech-driven heyday, was the only major Texas city to lose population.
And with draconian state budget cuts expected to slice another 2,500 to 5,000 jobs from the capital after Sept. 1, demographer Steve Murdock says Austin's population stagnation likely is just beginning.
"I'd be surprised if we didn't see slower growth (in Austin) for a number of years," Mur dock said. "The issue is that population (change) lags the economy. With economic factors remaining relatively flat, one can only see population similar or continuing to show outmigration."
When natural growth is factored in, Murdock estimates about 10,000 people left the Austin city limits by July 1, 2002, the date for the Census Bureau's tabulations.
Austin's economic woes began with the tech bubble's burst at the beginning of the decade, resulting in thousands of layoffs and causing companies to pull back on spending.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
jreynolds@lubbockonline.com 766-8725
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