Census results show population stabilizing
Officials in Springfield, 2 counties say more jobs, housing help.
The past decade saw declines in populations for both Clark and Champaign counties, including the cities of Springfield and Urbana, according to U.S. Census data released this week.
Clark County saw a 1.69% decrease in its population between the census counts of 2010 and 2020, with the number of residents going from 138,333 to 136,001.
The city of Springfield saw a population decline of 3.21% during the same period with the number of residents going from 60,608 to 58,662.
However, local officials say the newly released census figures show that populations in the area are stabilizing after decades of steeper decline. They said an increased focus on bringing jobs to the area paid off, as well as tackling a shortage in housing.
Both Clark County and its largest city Springfield saw sharper population decreases between 2000 and 2010. The county had a population of 144,666 in 2000 while the city had a population of 65,358.
“We are certainly flattening the curve. I would call that a small victory,” said Clark County Commissioner Melanie Flax Wilt. “We are on the right track of slowing down the population decline and stabilizing it.”
Flax Wilt said the goal now is to work toward an increase in population over the next 10 years as that will lead to a larger tax base and more money to invest back into the community.
The county has been working toward stabilizing the population in recent years as local organizations have collaborated to bring more employers into the area as well as look at ways to increase housing stock.
Some of those efforts include revitalization efforts to downtown areas within the county, especially in Springfield, as well as attracting large employers such as Topre and Silfex.
In terms of housing, officials have looked at ways of not only bringing in new homes but also at ways of rehabilitating older properties in the area.
Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland said the decline in Springfield’s population seen in the past 10 years followed statewide trends. But, he said he feels optimistic that trend will change in the future.
Copeland said Springfield has recently seen a new housing development for the first time since the early 1990s. The Bridgewater Development is slated to bring over 200 new homes in the area.
The success of that project so far has also prompted its developer to look at building 258 more homes in the area. Homes are in high demand locally as the area has seen a hot housing market.
Copeland attributed that not only to job growth in Springfield and Clark County, but the city and county’s proximity to larger metropolitan areas such as Columbus and Dayton.
He said a more mobile workforce has prompted some to live in places like Springfield, which has a lower cost of living, while working in cities such as Dayton and Columbus.
Springfield is not just focusing on new development geared toward middle income households. Copeland said the city plans to use a large portion of federal American Rescue Plan dollars to invest in low-income housing as well as rehabbing existing homes.
The president of the Greater Springfield Partnership, Mike Mcdorman, said that more jobs in the area can lead to more homes and more people. He said they have a strategy in place and it has taken time.
He said they still have a lot more work to do as they focus on economic development and other factors that tie into increasing the population.
Neighboring Champaign County also saw a population decrease between 2010 and 2020 with the number of residents going from 40,097 to 38,714.
In Urbana that number went from 11,793 residents to 11,115 residents.
The county has been working toward stabilizing the population in recent years as local organizations have collaborated to bring more employers into the area as well as look at ways to increase housing stock.