Franklin ranks among Pa.’s fastest growing counties
Pennsylvania’s population growth for 2010-17 has been concentrated in the southeast and southcentral. Centre County is the main exception. (Photo: Pennsylvania State Data Center)
(Chambersburg) — Franklin County was the ninth-fastest growing county in Pennsylvania from 2010 to 2017.
The county’s population increased 3.1 percent, according to U.S. Census data released Thursday.
Neighboring Cumberland County, far and away the fastest growing county in the state, grew by 6.2 percent. More than 12,000 people moved to Cumberland County in seven years, according to the Pennsylvania State Data Center.
“Interstates 81 and 78 are the perimeters of the growth that is taking place in Pennsylvania,” said L. Michael Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corp. “I think we’re all consistent in that area, except for Cumberland County. We’re all growing at that same rate,” 2.5 percent to 4.8 percent.
Counties outside Pennsylvania on the I-81 corridor also grew in 2010-17 – Washington County, Md., 2.1; percent; Berkeley County, W.Va., 10.3 percent; and Frederick County, Va., 10.5 percent.
Franklin County had a population of 154,234 on July 1, up from 149,618 in 2010.
The steady growth reflects well on Franklin County, according to Ross. The county population should hit 160,000 by 2020, he said.
“The numbers for this decade have been significantly lower than last decade,” Ross said. “The numbers exploded in 2000 to 2010. We’re continuing, though, at a steady pace.”
Franklin County’s growth rate is less than half what it was a decade ago. The county population grew 7.9 percent in 2000-07 and 7 percent in 1990-97.
Pennsylvania’s population grew by less than 1 percent 2010-17. Pennsylvania still ranks sixth in the nation for total population, but 47 of the its 67 counties shrank in 2010-17. Nearly all the counties losing population were outside southeast and southcentral Pennsylvania. Cameron County had the heaviest loss at 9.7 percent.
The fastest growing (by percent) U.S. counties increased their populations by about 5 percent in just one year. These include Falls Church City, Va., three Texas counties near Austin and San Antonio and three Utah counties near Salt Lake City.
In Pennsylvania, three counties tied for the highest gain in population from 2016 to 2017. Cumberland, Lebanon and Lehigh counties each saw a 0.9 percent increase. Franklin County’s one-year population gain was a modest 0.4 percent.
Allegheny County, the state’s second-most populous county, lost 4,505 people in the year to rank No. 5 in the nation for highest numeric decrease.
The Census uses administrative records to estimate components of population change such as births, deaths, and migration.
Here are Pennsylvania’s 12 fastest growing counties 2010-17 by percent:
- Cumberland, 6.2 percent
- Centre, 5.6 percent
- Lehigh, 4.8 percent
- Lebanon, 4.6 percent
- Lancaster, 4.5 percent
- Chester, 4.0 percent
- Philadelphia, 3.6 percent
- Montgomery, 3.3 percent
- Franklin 3.1 percent
- Snyder, 2.8 percent
- Dauphin, 2.8 percent
- York, 2.5 percent
This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The Chambersburg Public Opinion.
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