March 27, 2008
Cherokee Ledger News
Tom Brooks
Cherokee County’s population growth is No. 18 on the latest list of estimates on the fastest-growing counties in the country released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The county population was 204,363 people as of July 1, 2007, the report issued last week showed. The 5.3 percent growth over the 194,082 showed for the start of July 2006 placed the county in the nation’s top-20 of counties with 10,000 or more people as of early summer 2007.
Cherokee was Georgia’s No. 6 county in population growth. Topping the state list is Forsyth County at 7.2 percent, which was No. 8 nationally. Also on the national list, in order, are Paulding, Jackson, Barrow and Newton counties.
Forsyth County population grew to 158,914 by July, the report states. Bordering Cherokee’s eastern boundary, Forsyth added more people numerically than Cherokee as it grew by 10,607 since the start of July 2006, when the federal agency’s estimates showed it at 148,307.
Although the report shows Cherokee moved into the top-20 nationally, its population growth rate was slightly slower than the previous 12-month period that showed an increase of 10,967 people, a 5.9 percent rise to reach 195,327 people as of July 1, 2006. The county remains at the No. 7 spot on the list of Georgia counties total populations.
The Census Bureau estimate is higher than the Atlanta Regional Commission population estimates released last summer.
According to the regional planning agency, the county population was 196,700 at the beginning of April 2007, three months before the federal report indicating the county surpassed the 204,000 mark.
County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens said he has studied the differing population figures of the Census Bureau and the ARC. Ahrens tends to use the higher Census figure as reflecting a level that is probably closer to the actual population, he said.
While the housing market slowdown reportedly has been more pronounced starting in the final months of 2007, the Census data suggest Cherokee is drawing more residents finding the county to be a desirable place to live, he said.
“The impact has not been as dramatic as other areas,” Ahrens said of the housing slowdown.