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Eagle Point leads county population explosion By BETH QUINN Jackson County continues to be among Oregon's fastest growing, and Eagle Point's population surge of 12.3 percent last year surpassed all other Southern Oregon cities. Portland State University's Center for Population Research and Census estimates that Jackson County added 3,500 new residents in the year ending July 1, 1998, for a growth rate of 2.1 percent. That's almost triple last year's population gain of 1,300. Statewide, PSU estimates that Oregonians welcomed 50,550 new residents for an annual growth rate of 1.8 percent. Of the increase that saw the state's population reach 3,267,550, 30,000 new Oregonians moved here and 17,000 were born here. "This would be our 11th straight year of more than 20,000 people moving into the state," said Barry Edmonston, director of the PSU population center. If that kind of growth continues, the state could top 4 million residents in 15 years. Oregon reached the 3 million mark in 1993. Closer to home, Eagle Point officials think that PSU's preliminary estimates of population may already be out-of-date. "That's the first of July. You want to see what's going on out here? We're over 5,000, no doubt," said Bunny Lincoln of the city planning department. With completion of the clubhouse at Eagle Point Golf Course expected next spring, city officials expect double-digit growth to continue. Lincoln said plans have been filed for 42 condominiums, a 72-unit assisted-care facility and a 57,000-square-foot grocery store. Not all of the region shared last year's growth. PSU's estimate showed no growth in Josephine County, with Grants Pass and Cave Junction adding less than 1 percent to their population. Demographers say new births have not kept up with the deaths among the county's aging population. The decade-plus string of population growth defies the predictions of some who said that a declining timber industry would sink the state's economy. "Oregon has been a lot more resilient than some people have pointed out," Edmonston said. "In Eastern Oregon, towns that are quite a bit away from a metropolitan area are holding their own and even growing." Forecasters say the continuing economic crisis in Asia could affect Oregon's economy and growth rate next year. Closer to home, the fire that closed Boise Cascade's plywood mill wiped out 10 percent of the region's wood products jobs and that loss could affect population numbers next year. But as long as Jackson County continues to be a regional center for health care and shopping, growth could continue. "A lot of the growth comes because people still come in from the surrounding area to consume those services or to buy retail products," said John Anderson, economist with the state Employment Department. Other fast-growing counties included Deschutes, Polk, Yamhill, Washington and Umatilla. The single fastest-growing county was sparsely populated Gilliam County, where an additional 150 people represented an increase of nearly 7.7 percent to a total of 2,100. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA