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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 26, 2005 ‘Growing by leaps and bounds’ State population study shows Eagle Point has grown 58 percent since 2000 By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Medford topped 70,000 in population and Eagle Point continued to be one of the fastest-growing cities in Oregon, according to a preliminary state population study. "It is definitely growing by leaps and bounds," said Eagle Point Mayor Leon Sherman, whose city recorded an 8.7 percent increase since July 2004. The city jumped by 586 residents, from 6,980 to 7,566, according to the preliminary study released by the Portland Research Center at Portland State University. Compared to the 2000 Census, Eagle Point has grown by 58 percent. Talent came in second in the county behind Eagle Point in percentage of growth, increasing 6.2 percent as it grew from 5,890 to 6,255. Advertisement Central Point followed with a 4.6 percent growth, climbing from 14,950 to 15,640. Sherman said he expects Eagle Point will continue to see high growth rates, particularly with 20 subdivisions either in the planning phase or under construction. "I think if interest rates continue to stabilize we will continue to grow," he said. Eagle Point grew faster than Bend, which added more than 5,000 people to hit 70,328, a 7.8 percent increase. That put Bend on the heels of Medford, which had 70,855 residents in the survey. Medford grew at a 2.4 percent pace, adding 1,635 residents since 2004. According to the study, Gold Hill was the only city in Jackson County that didn’t show any growth, staying dead even with a population of 1,080. The state’s population jumped by more 46,000 people in the last year, reaching 3,628,700 on July 1, according to estimates from the university researchers. The 2005 growth was pushed by 32,000 people moving to Oregon from out of state and a natural increase from births of 14,100. Sherman said that Eagle Point is still a bedroom community, but anticipates that will change once a new Wal-Mart is built, which should attract more business. "Once we get the first one in, others will follow," he said. Central Point Mayor Hank Williams said he was disappointed with the estimates and had expected his city’s population would be closer to 17,000. "We in Central Point think their figures are low," he said. The city has proposed adding 1,272 acres of high-quality agricultural land to handle a doubling of population in the next 20 years. A lower-than-expected population projection might undercut the city’s case for taking in that amount of land. While not happy with the estimate, Williams said, "We will probably end up relying on the numbers." He was encouraged by the relatively high growth rate, saying the city has positioned itself well to handle the new subdivisions. "So far we have been able assimilate it into the community without backlash," he said, referring to the potential for traffic congestion. Elsewhere in the state, Portland’s population increased by 5,088, to 555,648, a change of just under 1 percent. The Portland area piled up the bulk of the state’s growth, with Multnomah County increasing by 6,875, to 692,825; Clackamas County by 5,050, to 361,300; and Washington County by 9,585, to 489,785. Wheeler remained the state's least populated county at 1,550 people. It showed no change in population since 2004. The preliminary figures will be certified in March. Oregon law requires the Population Research Center to prepare the estimates each year for each county and incorporated city in Oregon. The population figures are used by the state to determine disbursements of revenues from taxes on such things as gas, liquor and cigarettes. The Portland State report is available on the Web at http://www.pdx.edu/prc/ . Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail �Growing by leaps and bounds� ">[email protected] . The Associated Press also contibuted to this story. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Advertisement s