Copyright 2006 Chattanooga Publishing Company

April 23, 2006 Sunday

County's population growing, study shows

Mike Pare, Staff Writer

Hamilton County may be making a marked population gain with a jump in the number of downtown residents helping drive the increase, a new study shows.

Growth in downtown neighborhoods, including North Chattanooga, are rising at a faster rate than countywide, according to the RiverCity Co. report.

"The findings indicate downtown is playing a key role in attracting new residents to the entire county," said Paul Brock, president of the nonprofit downtown development group.

The results, generated from a Community Research Council study, are based on EPB residential customer service applications.

Preliminary data shows new applications in the first eight months of 2005 were 36.5 percent higher than the 12-month rate over the prior four years, said David Eichenthal, the council's chief executive.

He said the study shows a greater percentage of people coming into the county in 2005 are from out of state.

"They are also younger," Mr. Eichenthal said. New EPB customer applicants between ages 18 to 34 have risen from 46 percent in 2001 to 58.2 percent in the 2005 period, according to the report.

In addition to downtown, new applicants are focused in East Brainerd, North Chattanooga, Hixson and Red Bank, the study showed.

Chattanooga lost more than 10 percent of its population in the 1980s. But the city rebounded in the 1990s and starting gaining population again. A 2003 study by the Community Research Council found population growth downtown was one reason why, having increased by 29 percent in the 1990s, according to the council.

While Hamilton County appears to be amid a population surge, Mr. Eichenthal said there are some disclaimers in the data. He said the information does not include the number of people leaving the county, and the data doesn't show the size of the households.

Still, Mr. Brock said years of downtown revitalization and investment are paying dividends.

According to RiverCity, focus groups with new Hamilton County residents between 18 and 34 revealed that jobs and family are the primary reasons for moving here.

Hamilton County often won out over other locations due to affordability, especially housing, and quality of life, according to RiverCity. People living downtown cited their proximity to central city activities.

However, the lack of grocery and retail stores and finding affordable housing downtown were serious problems cited in the focus groups.

E-mail Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com

FACT BOX

EPB customer applications

Below are the number of new residential customers who applied for service in Hamilton County:

2002 - 7,969

2004 - 6,992

2005 - 9,996 (est.)

Source: Community Research Council