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Census says growth slowing
Friday, March 20, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by EMILY BARNES
Construction is taking place in the Avalon West subdivision in Waldorf, though the local real estate market is feeling the pinch of the drop in new people moving to the county, says real estate agent Bob Johnston. "The decline is not good news for the real estate industry, but we're probably doing a lot better than other areas in the country," he says.
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There has been a sharp decrease in the number of people moving to Charles County — a lull that local leaders say will provide the county time to catch up on important infrastructure projects.
The 2008 estimate of the population in Maryland released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 595 people moved to Charles County between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008. Since 2000, more than 3,000 people moved to the county each year, according to the census figures.
For example, census experts said the population grew from 137,144 people to 139,164 between July 2005 and July 2006, and from 131,448 to 134,531 between July 2003 and July 2004.
Despite the recent decline the county has grown 16.8 percent between 2000 and 2008, from 120,546 to 140,764, according to the Census Bureau.
The news of the decline in people moving to the county did not come as a surprise to the county's elected leaders.
The drop in population growth is not unwelcome news because it will give the county government and public school officials a chance to catch up with projects that have been shoved to the back burner for years, said Charles County commissioners' Vice President Edith J. Patterson (D).
"It's a breather," she said. "It gives us time to reflect about where we are and to take care of some things that we've placed on hold. This is a lull. Once the economy improves we'll see the population increase again."
"It's like a pendulum," said commissioners' President F. Wayne Cooper (D). "It goes back and forth. Things will stabilize, and we'll start growing again."
Cooper said that a good indicator that the annual population numbers had declined was a review of the public school enrollment figures.
"School enrollment has been pretty flat during the last two years," he said. The student population grew by 66 students from the 2007-08 school year to the current school year. The year before, enrollment grew by 53 students according to information from the school system's Web site.
Collins A. Bailey, a member of the Charles County Board of Education, said he is relieved to see the decline in population growth rate.
"It's good news," he said. "Charles County has the highest percentage of students who are housed in trailers in Maryland. We've got our hands full right now with the students that we've got in the school system. We need to do a top-notch job with the students that we already have enrolled in the system. Any help that we can get, including slower growth, is a good thing."
The downturn in the economy is definitely driving the decline of new people moving to the county, said George L. Robertson, director of the county's department of economic development.
"It's definitely a recessionary thing," he said.
"The good news is that the county is still having some growth compared to many communities in America. The fact that we have any growth is a good sign."
The real estate market is also feeling the pinch of the drop in new folks moving to the county, said Bob Johnston, an agent with Baldus Real Estate.
"New housing construction is down," he said.
"The decline is not good news for the real estate industry, but we're probably doing a lot better than other areas in the country."
County Commissioner Gary V. Hodge (D) said that the county needs to use this lag time to plan carefully for growth in the future.
"Now is the time to plan because Southern Maryland is going to come roaring out of this recession with one of the strongest economies in Maryland," he said. "This gives us some breathing space to do our plan and work on our infrastructure."
How we've grown
2007-08 140,764
2006-07 140,169
2005-06 139,164
2004-05 137,144
2003-04 134,531
2002-03 131,448
2001-02 127,777
2000-01 124,691
1999-2000 121,204
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