Census: SFC, FC populations down over 18%

Mayor, county judge question pandemic’s impact on count

The number of people living in Forrest City – and St. Francis County as a whole – declined significantly over the past 10 years, based on the newest data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Forrest City, which is the state’s 31st largest city, saw its population decrease 18.1% over the past 10 years.

According to the Census, in 2010, Forrest City’s population was 15,371. The 2020 report shows the city’s current population is 13,015, a decrease of 18.1%.

St. Francis County, which is the state’s 26th largest, saw its number of residents decrease by 18.3%.

According to the Census, in 2010, St. Francis County’s population was 28,258. The 2020 population is being reported at 23,090, a decrease of 18.3%.

Forrest City Mayor Cedric Williams and St. Francis County Judge Gary Hughes each said they anticipated the report showing population declines.

“It was not a huge surprise,” said Williams of the data. “Do we have more than 13,015 people here? I do believe we do. I would like to see how many of those in the federal prison are included in that total number.”

According to the Federal Bureau of Prison’s website, the Federal Correctional ComplexForrest City currently houses 2,933 inmates.

“The trend has been headed in that direction,” said Hughes, referring to reports he sees regularly regarding population changes. “We’ve basically been losing a percentage or so of our population each year over the past 10 years, so I’m not really surprised by these numbers.”

The Census figures determine the amount of money cities and counties receive from local, state and federal governments.

“Every community in St. Francis County lost some population,” said Hughes, adding that county officials would review population shifts in communities to determine how county sales tax revenue is distributed.

“Some might receive more or less from the countywide sales taxes depending on how the population shifted,” said Hughes.

“We have to make decisions based on the Census numbers we see right now, but it’s all very, very preliminary,” said Williams, noting that the numbers will also be used for redistricting at all levels, including city wards and justice of the peace districts. “It’s important that we get accurate numbers.”

Hughes and Williams also believe the Covid pandemic played a role in the reporting process.

“I hate to question the accuracy of it because it was no secret we were going to lose population from reports and estimates I’ve been receiving over the past couple of years, but with so much going on, it makes you wonder if everything was accurately counted on that part of it,” said Williams.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that with Covid it was a much more difficult process of trying to get everyone counted,” said Hughes. “I certainly think there are chances that some didn’t get counted due to the constraints Covid had on us, but I have no data to prove they weren’t counted.

“It’s pretty rational to think Covid did play a negative impact on that,” Hughes continued. “I’m sure there were more people than normal who didn’t get counted than would have otherwise.”

Williams said the city hosted several events in an effort to encourage people to participate in the Census.

“We understand in our area there are challenges from an Internet standpoint, but we still had events encouraging people to complete the Census, and we still had people going door to door during the pandemic,” said Williams. “Hopefully, these numbers aren’t reflective of a lot of people who chose to just not fill it out.”