South Mississippi Growing

GULFPORT, MS - Mississippi registered only slight gains in the latest population estimates being released today by federal officials, but the six Coast counties all showed positive growth, with Stone County leading the way. Numbers from the population division of the U.S. Census Bureau, comparing population from July 2007 to July 2008, show that Stone County grew by 3.1 percent, to a population of 16,025. George County gained 2.1 percent more residents in the same period, for a total population of 22,406. Statewide, only DeSoto and Lamar counties outpaced Stone in terms of percentage increases.

"People are moving here because unique is normal here," said Charlotte Koestler, executive director of the Stone County Economic Development Partnership.

In Hancock County, where growth reached 1 percent to 40,140 residents in the latest reporting period, officials were still enthusiastic, given difficulties many people have experienced in rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. "That's kind of in line with what we've been seeing over the last two years," County Administrator Tim Kellar said.

Among other areas in the six-county coastal region, Harrison County gained 1.2 percent, to a population of 178,460. Pearl River County gained 0.8 percent, to 57,466 people, and Jackson County increased to 130,694 residents, a 0.4 percent gain.

Statewide, Mississippi's population grew 0.6 percent during the tracking period, to 2.93 million. But 31 of the state's 82 counties actually saw population declines. Those included Hinds County, the state's most heavily populated, which fell to 247,650 residents when it lost 0.6 percent of the population.

Koestler said location, demographic shifts and an aggressive marketing effort all contributed to the Stone County's growth. Of the total subdivisions already approved or pending, Stone County could have as many as 12,000 new home construction jobs in the foreseeable future, depending on the economy, she said.

"We're halfway between Hattiesburg and the Coast and just south of a major university," Koestler said. "And we're located where people don't have that high-water fear."

Wiggins and surrounding areas in Stone County also have aggressive improvement programs under way, including infrastructure projects, new parks, athletic complex improvements, a tourism campaign and arts projects. "This is all designed to give people a sense of place," Koestler said.

But proximity to work destinations via U.S. 49 also is a major draw. About 50 percent of Stone County's work force commutes to jobs in other counties, Koestler said.

In Hancock County, growth has been hampered in some areas where homes operated on septic tanks before Katrina. Those now are not allowed, and residents can't come back to their land until infrastructure projects are completed. "It's real slow growth, at least until we can get water and sewer in some of those areas," Kellar said. However, he added that even a 1 percent growth rate is "very good word to hear."