County’s Population Down 15.4%

Data released by the US Census Bureau on Thursday indicates Doug- las County lost population since 2010. The development is part of a down- ward trend in rural south-central Missouri. Across the entire United States a population increase of 7.4% was recorded.

The 2020 population total for Douglas County is 11,578. That figure is a 9% decrease from the 2010 census results of 13,684.

• Ozark County, 12% loss to 8,553 population total

• Howell County, 1.6% loss to a 39,750 population total

• Christian County, 14.85 gin to a population of 88,842

• Texas County, 5.8% loss to a 24,487 population total

• Taney County, 8.5% gain to 56,066 population total

• Wright County, 3.3% loss to 18,188 population

• Webster County, 8.0% gain to a 39,085 population

• Green County, 8.6% gain to 298,915 population

The Kansas City area and Missouri suburbs saw the most population growth in the state over the past decade, U.S. Census data released Thursday show.

Platte County saw the biggest in- flux of people at close to 20% growth from 2010 to 2020, U.S. Census Bu- reau data show.

Christian, Clay, Lincoln, and Boone also were among the top five counties of growth in the state. T

But rural Missouri and the city of St. Louis now have fewer residents compared to a decade ago. St. Louis’ population decreased by 5.5%, with a loss of about 18,000 people.

Ripley County saw the greatest decline with 24% fewer people compared to a decade ago.