Sat, Mar 24, 2007

By HANK ROWLAND
The Brunswick News

Glynn County gained population from 2005 to 2006, but Camden County lost residents, according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau.

McIntosh and Brantley counties also picked up people during the 12-month time period, census bureau figures show.

In Glynn County, the population rose to 73,630, just shy of a 2,000-person gain. The increase of 1,991 people reflects a 2.8 percent increase.

The change isn't enough to affect Glynn County's population ranking in the state. It still ranks 30th among Georgia's 159 counties.

In Camden County, the population dropped to 45,118 from 45,751, a 1.4 percent decrease. That knocks Camden County's ranking in the state down by two notches, to 44 from 42.

McIntosh County made some small gains. The county's population grew by 248 people, topping off at 11,248. The 2.3 percent increase was not enough to change the county's ranking in the state, which stands at 120.

Brantley County's population inched up by 2 percent, climbing to 15,735 from 15,474. The change was enough to raise the county's ranking by a single digit, taking it to 104 from 105.

Woody Woodside, president of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, says he's not surprised by Glynn County's increase.

"For years everyone has known or commented about people wanting to live within 50 to 100 miles of the coast," Woodside said Friday. "We're right on the coast and in an area that's highly desirable to move in and start a business."

Woodside does question the accuracy of the figures, though.

"Quite frankly, I believe those projections are actually low and have been for a long time," he said.

Vernon Martin, executive director of the Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center, agrees with Woodside that the figures should be higher.

"Especially in high-growth areas like Coastal Georgia, all the counties and all the cities, we know in the 2000 census that Savannah and other areas like Glynn County were substantially undercounted," he said.

He said recent projections also are off since they are based on 2000 data.

"When the census bureau does its updates, it's basing it on inaccurate data, so you're getting inaccurate numbers," Martin said.