Growth rates slow in St. Croix County

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The Wisconsin Department of Administration recently released the Jan. 1, 2012 population estimates for towns, villages, cities and counties.

St. Croix County, located in west central Wisconsin along the state’s border with Minnesota, added 511 new residents since the 2010 Census for a 0.6 percent increase. The county grew from 84,345 in 2010 to the current estimate of 84,856. The 2000 Census estimated St. Croix’s population at 63,155 residents.

New Richmond added 20 new residents over the past two years, according to the estimates. The growth rate has declined considerably since the boom years of the mid-2000s.

“Growth has slowed in large part due to the recession,” said Mike Darrow, New Richmond’s city administrator and utilities manager. “We see a slower growth rate in the short-term; however, we do see things slowly picking up as the economy improves.”

Darrow said the city has seen a modest increase in housing and building permits.

“We feel that the bridge will have a significant impact on both population and the overall economy of New Richmond,” he said. “As we bring in more businesses, or as existing businesses expand, housing demand and population figures will increase.”

If the community grows as expected, Darrow said the city can’t ignore the aging population that calls New Richmond home.

“We want to ensure that our existing population, particularly seniors, continue to have affordable and dignified housing options in the future,” he said. “Seniors play a big part of our community so it is critical for our community to continue to ensure that their needs are met in the short and long-term.”

The Demographic Services Center of the Wisconsin Department of Administration annually produces population estimates for Wisconsin counties and municipalities.

The estimates are based on the prior census and analysis of contemporary data including housing units, dormitory and institutional populations, automobile registrations, residential electric meters and others.

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