Braden Lammers and Matt Thacker, Evening News
The City of Jeffersonville’s population increased by 64.3 percent while Clark County grew by 14.3 percent since 2000, according to 2010 U.S. Census figures released Thursday afternoon.
The figures were part of data being released by the U.S. Census Bureau from its 2010 collection and Indiana is among a handful of states beginning to release its numbers.
Across the state, Indiana’s population grew by 6.6 percent, increasing by 400,000 residents since 2000, up to 6.48 million. The state grew 9.7 percent during the 1990s.
But clear in the early state numbers is the major growth evident in Southern Indiana.
City growth
The new data means Jeffersonville, including the annexed areas, becomes the 20th largest city in Indiana.
“We’re one of the largest cities in the south, and I think it will help us garner more attention and also be able to bring us some more grants,” Mayor Tom Galligan said.
The population in Jeffersonville grew from 27,362 people to 44,953, according to the Census figures released Thursday.
Galligan said the city had hoped to reach 50,000 because it could have applied to become an entitlement community, which would have allowed it to receive annual federal funding to develop viable urban communities.
City officials had expected the city’s population would be between 45,000 and 50,000, but he still said he considered the Census data “good news.”
Jeffersonville City Councilman Nathan Samuel also considered the figures to be a good indicator for the city and county.
“That’s encouraging, it shows that Clark County is the place to be,” he said. “If it’s 14 percent growth for the county, that’s new people.”
Uric Dufrene, Sanders Chair of the Indiana University Southeast School of Business, cautioned against reading too much into the population figures for Jeffersonville because of the annexation. He pointed to Louisville, which boasted that it became the 16th largest city in the country after its city and county government merged.
“They were proclaiming they’re the 16th largest city in the country, while the past 10 years, Louisville has lagged behind its peers in economic growth,” he said.
Dufrene said there were other positive developments, such as RiverStage, that would mean more to the city. However, he said population data can be used by cities for marketing.
“I think it certainly helps a city in terms of how it can brand itself and how it might market its message,” Dufrene said.
Galligan said the focus will remain on job creation.
“We’re trying to create more jobs for people to come here,” Galligan said. “We’re trying to create an overall environment for people to live and work and play in Jeffersonville.”
County growth
Also claiming substantial growth in population was Clark County as a whole.
The 2010 Census figures indicate Clark County grew by 14.3 percent since the 2000 count.
The actual population change was an increase of 13,760 people — from 96,472 total residents in the county in 2000 to 110,232 total residents in the county now — according to the data. Only seven counties in the state of Indiana had stronger growth rates than Clark County, five of which surround the Indianapolis metropolitan region.
Clark County Commissioner Les Young was encouraged by the figures returned for the county.
Young believed the increase may be attributed to people anticipating even stronger growth if cross-river mobility, in the form of the Ohio River Bridges Project.
Clark County Council President Kevin Vissing agreed that the geographic location of the county has buoyed its position in the state.
“We’re a very affordable place to build your house and we’re right next to Louisville, Ky., and that’s a big advantage living in Southern Indiana,” he said.
When both county representatives were asked of the additional population and how it may affect the county’s services and tax base, neither believes the impact will be substantial.
“I don’t see much change with that 14 percent growth,” Vissing said.
Young agreed and said taxpayers may actually end up paying less.
“I think it spreads that tax burden out over more people ... but it doesn’t mean you have more capital to work on,” he said.
Young was also optimistic that the changes would not affect county services.
“I don’t think it’s any more burden,” he said.
Demographic changes
Growth was also apparent across all ethnicities in Clark County and ranged from 10 percent growth to more than 50 percent growth for a single ethnic group.
Increases for individuals characterizing themselves as multiple races grew more than 82 percent — from 1,349 to 2,462 – over the 10-year period.
But another segment of the population grew even faster, across the county and in multiple municipalities.
Individuals identifying themselves as Hispanic grew an astounding 197 percent. County-wide the change was a swing of more than 3,500 people — from 1,800 individuals in 2000 to 5,350 in 2010.
The Hispanic population in Jeffersonville grew even faster. From the 2000 to the 2010 census the city’s Hispanic population went from 493 to 1,828, a 371 percent increase. Hispanics now make up 4.1 percent of the population, while black or African-American people make up 13.2 percent of the population compared to 13.7 percent in 2000.
Charlestown mirrored the population increase with its Hispanic and Latino population doubling over the decade, from 319 or 5.3 percent to 628 or 8.2 percent of the city’s population.
Overall the city’s population increased by nearly 1,600 residents from a total population of 5,993 to 7,585, respectively.
The Town of Clarksville’s overall population grew slightly thanks to a major growth in the Hispanic community.
The 2000 Census showed 21,400 people which grew to 21,724 in 2010, an increase of 1.5 percent.
During the same time frame the Hispanic population in Clarksville grew from 599 to 2,056 people, an increase of 343 percent. The population of white non-Hispanics decreased by 8.2 percent. Hispanics now make up 9.5 percent of the population in Clarksville compared to 2.4 percent of the town’s population in 2000.
Clarksville Town Council President Greg Isgrigg said he had not had a chance to review the numbers and was not ready to comment.
“I thought we’d have 22,000 [residents],” he said.
When asked about the changing demographics in Clarksville, Isgrigg said it was not something he had thought about or discussed with other council members and he did not want to comment on “racial issues.”
Sellersburg also saw some minor overall growth in its population, increasing by 57 people.
Again, the major change was in the Hispanic community that grew from 63 people, or 1 percent of the town’s population, to 335 individuals, or 5.4 percent of the town’s population.
Housing and economic growth
Clark County figures showed the total number of housing units in the county increased 16 percent for total homes and increased 14 percent for the number of occupied homes.
However, the number of vacant properties recorded across Clark County increased 45 percent, or more than 1,000 additional vacant housing units.
Dufrene said the housing numbers were likely a reflection of challenges remaining from the recession and the poor housing market from 2007 through 2009.
Overall the growth in population across the county and in its municipalities should be taken as a good sign, Dufrene said.
“A lively population helps contribute to an expanding labor force. It’s better to be growing than shrinking,” he said. “It means we are attracting people and can supply the labor force to grow new and existing jobs.”
Young echoed Dufrene’s sentiment and said it was better than the alternative.
“At any point it’s encouraging,” he said. “I’d be scared if they were leaving.”
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