Census: Franklin County, central Ohio again leading state in growth

Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
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An overhead look at the John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons park, set on the former City Center Mall site in Columbus. Franklin County and central Ohio again led the state in growth, according to the Census Bureau.
An overhead look at the John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons park, set on the former City Center Mall site in Columbus. Franklin County and central Ohio again led the state in growth, according to the Census Bureau.

Franklin County is growing again in population after a brief dip in 2021 - the only major metropolitan county in Ohio to see growth, according to the latest county census estimates released on Thursday.

And most of the counties surrounding Franklin, home to Columbus and the state capital, are growing even faster.

Franklin County's estimated 2022 population was 1,321,820. That's up from 2021, when it was estimated at 1,317,560, according to the census estimates.

In 2020, the census count showed Franklin County with 1,323,807, the largest in the state.

A map of downtown Columbus is superimposed over a map of census tracts.
A map of downtown Columbus is superimposed over a map of census tracts.

Five of the six counties surrounding Franklin County all continued to grow, census estimates show, with Delaware County's population the highest at 226,296. Delaware County saw the largest total growth of any county in Ohio with only Union County having a higher growth percentage over the past year.

The 2022 estimates for the other four that grew:

● Licking: 181,359; 0.78% growth

● Fairfield: 162,898; 1.06% growth

● Pickaway: 60,023; 2.13% growth

● Union: 66,898; 2.75% growth

Madison County's estimated population dipped a little, from 44,404 to 43,540.

The growth in central Ohio census numbers comes as local officials continue to work on regional transportation plans to prepare for hundreds of thousands of new residents and workers here.

The 2022 census estimates show that the population of Cuyahoga County, home to Cleveland and the second-largest county, continues to decline with 1,236,041 residents. The 2021 estimate was 1,247,808.

Hamilton County, home to Cincinnati, had an estimated population of 825,037 last year, down from 2021's estimate of 827,501.

Summit County, home to Akron, had an estimated 535,882 residents, down from an estimated 537,247 in 2021. Stark County, home to Canton and Massillon, has an estimated 372,657 residents, down from an estimated 373,659 in 2021.

According to census estimates, five of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the nation are in Texas.

Maricopa County in Arizona, home to Phoenix, grew the most by population, adding 56,831 residents in 2022 to 4,551,524.

Los Angeles County in California and Cook County, Illinois (Chicago) remain the two largest counties in the nation. But both lost population from 2021 to 2022, with Los Angeles County dropping from 9,811,842 to 9,721,138, and Cook County dropped from 5,177,606 to 5,109,292.

Overall, patterns of county growth and decline reflected pre-pandemic trends.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Census: Franklin County, central Ohio again leading state in growth