Hamilton, Middletown populations barely budge, but leaders working to be competitive

Population in Butler County increased by an estimated 2,671 people, according to the latest the U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

That rise between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, was mainly fueled by growth in West Chester, Liberty, Oxford, Lemon and Fairfield townships, as well as the cities of Monroe, Oxford and Trenton, the data shows.

The counties two largest cities, Hamilton and Middletown, saw slim changes to their populations in the one-year span.

Hamilton saw a 0.1 percent decrease, giving the city an estimated population of 62,092. Middletown saw a 0.08 percent increase from last year, giving the city an estimated population of to 48,823.

Hamilton Economic Development Director Jody Gunderson said city officials are always interested in examining changes in our population and how it may impact their plans for the future.

“In this particular instance, the change that the census projects is so small it is difficult to determine what, if any, impact it would have,” Gunderson said, noting that the data released Thursday is a projection, and not an actual count. “I will be more concerned if, after the next census is taken, I do not see net population growth from 2010 to 2020.”

Given the increased level of commercial, industrial, and residential development that is occurring in Hamilton, city officials are confident that the strategies that have been initiated by city leaders over the last several years will attract new residents, he said.

“One of these strategies is the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Talent Attraction Program scholarship, which has helped to introduce Hamilton to new residents,” Gunderson said. “These measures, along with our affordability, downtown redevelopment efforts, and new entertainment amenities such as RiversEdge Amphitheater and the (planned Spooky Nook at Champion Mill) sports complex, will contribute to making Hamilton a desirable community to live in.”

Middletown’s population plateau, both since 2010 and year-over-year, is “not unexpected,” according to Middletown City Manager Doug Adkins.

“Remember that during this time we’ve demolished over 500 blighted homes, reducing the available places people can live,” Adkins told this news outlet. “We’re in the process of completing in 2018 the first Master Plan for the city since 2005.”

That plan, he said, will cover not only jobs and infrastructure, but also our housing stock and how Middletown can be more competitive in southwest Ohio.

“The goal is to have competitive housing stock with quality families,” Adkins said, noting that as city officials look at variables in that mix, it is an assumption that more is necessarily better. “We’re going to look at how to balance our housing stock so that families in Middletown will always have attractive housing options whether they are moving up or down in housing size.

“The final mix of those houses will be determined over the next 12 months or so, and at that point, we can make some educated assumptions as to the long term effect of whatever is ultimately adopted.”

In other census-related news, the city of Cincinnati grew from 299,127 in July 2016 to 301,301 in July 2017, an 0.72 percent uptick.

For the Cincinnati metro area, which includes 15 counties in Southwest Ohio, Southeast Indiana and Northern Kentucky, the estimates yield 0.6 percent growth from 2016 to 2017, going from 2,166,029 people in the region to 2,179,082 people.

Columbus was one of the top 15 cities in the United States that saw the largest number of new residents between 2016 and 2017 with about 15,400 people added to the population. The bureau lists Columbus’ population at about 880,000.

San Antonio, Texas topped the list with the largest estimated population gain of 24,200 people, an average of 66 new people a day between 2016 and 2017, according to the bureau. Another Texas city, Fort Worth, surpassed Indianapolis to become the 15th largest U.S. city with a population of 874,168.

The decennial census is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution and participation is required by law. The first census was taken in 1790. The 24th census will be held April 1, 2020 and for the first time will largely be conducted online.

Area cities and counties are already preparing for the 2020 Census, the results of which guide the federal and state governments in how to divvy up nearly $700 billion in assistance for housing, health care, transportation and more. The decennial census results also determine the number of U.S. House districts in each state.

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