Population decline continues

Warren Times Observer, July 12, 2008

Some Warren County municipalities gained a few people, some held their own, but most lost population between 2006 and 2007.

The U.S. Census Bureau this week released its annual population estimates for boroughs, cities and townships.

The estimates are for the period between July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2007.

The Census Bureau previously estimated that Warren County's overall population declined from 41,167 to 40,986 during the one-year period, but the information released this week provides estimates for individual municipalities within counties.

According to the Census Bureau estimates, the City of Warren's population declined from 9,479 in July 2006 to 9,440 in July 2007.

Although the drops were not nearly as precipitous as the decreases recorded in other years since the official 2000 Census, all boroughs in Warren County also lost a few people between July 2006 and July 2007.

For instance, Youngsville Borough's estimated population fell from 1,683 to 1,680, but in previous years in this decade, Youngsville had been losing 20 to 30 residents per year.

Warren County Planning Director Dan Glotz said that the figures provided by the Census Bureau are estimates based on historical data and a formula.

However, Glotz said that in the county's comprehensive plan, adopted by county planners last year, there was a projection that "the county's population loss would at some point grind to a halt and then somewhat reverse itself."

The county's plan identified nine areas of the county where some residential or commercial growth could be expected, Glotz said.

Those areas, most in the Rt. 62 and Rt. 62 corridors, were selected based on trends and the availability or planned availability of infrastructure such as highways, sewer service and utilities, he said.

"We could still see that growth," Glotz said.

Sugar Grove Borough's estimated population in 2007 stood at 559, compared to 563 the prior year.

Tidioute Borough's population slipped from 729 to 724.

Clarendon Borough's population declined from 518 to 514.

In Bear Lake Borough, the population dipped slightly from 178 to 176.

Two townships in Warren County - Freehold and Sheffield - had small gains in population between 2006 and 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates.

Freehold Township's population increased from 1,354 to 1,357 and Sheffield Township gained one person, placing the estimated population at 2,216.

In other townships of Warren County, the 2007 estimated population, with the 2006 population in parenthesis, are as follows:

Brokenstraw Township: 1,982 (1,989)

Cherry Grove Township: 218 (219)

Columbus Township: 1,626 (1,635)
Conewango Township: 3,585 (3,611)

Deerfield Township: 315 (316)

Eldred Township: 667 (671)

Elk Township: 525 (527)

Farmington Township: 1,269 (1,277)

Glade Township: 2,158 (2,172)

Limestone Township: 396 (398)

Mead Township: 1,462 (1,470)

Pine Grove Township: 2,522 (2,537)

Pittsfield Township: 1,469 (1,476)

Pleasant Township: 2,356 (2,370)

Southwest Township: 530 (533)

Spring Creek Township: 857 (860)

Sugar Grove Township: 1,804 (1,806)

Triumph Township: 274 (275)

Watson Township: 305 (306)