TWO CITIES IN AREA SEE BEST GROWTH, SAYS CENSUS

JACKSON -- Jackson, Marble Hill and Festus were among the fastest-growing communities under 10,000 population in Southeast Missouri during the past two years, show population estimates released by the U. S. Bureau of the Census and the Missouri Office of Administration.

Ryan Burson, demographer in the Office of Administration, said the population estimates are based on the Census Bureau's official 1990 census and birth and death statistics from 1990 through July 1, 1992.

The estimates are as of July 1, 1992.

Burson said additional data for the population estimates was obtained from matched Social Security numbers on federal tax returns. He said all names on the tax returns were deleted by the IRS before the data was supplied to the demographer's office.

"Keep in mind the population estimates do not reflect any changes that may have occurred in corporate limits, such as annexations. And they do not reflect corrections that may have been made to population figures after the 1990 census," Burson said.

According to the statistics, Marble Hill exhibited the largest percentage of growth, nearly 16 percent, from 1990 to 1992. The town's population grew by 230, from 1,447 in 1990 to an estimated 1,677 by July 1, 1992, the statistics show.

Festus was second, with a growth rate of 5.6 percent, and an increase of 451 from the 1990 census of 8,105.

Jackson was the third-fastest-growing community, with a growth rate of 5 percent. By comparison, the city of Cape Girardeau's population growth percentage-wise, was 1.8 percent, which is slightly above the statewide average of 1.4 percent.

Burson said Jackson's population increased 466, from the 1990 census figure of 9,256 to an estimated 9,722.

Other communities under 10,000 population that exhibited growth in population during the same period: Perryville, up 2 percent; New Madrid, up 4.2 percent; Ste. Genevieve, up 4 percent; and Scott City, up 1.1 percent.

Asked to explain its sharp increase in population, Marble Hill City Clerk Shirley Call attributed some of the growth to retired-age people who have moved to Marble Hill. She said: "Every month I receive several phone calls from people who live in California and other large states to ask about our municipal services. They have heard about Marble Hill and our low property tax rate from a book that's published nationwide by a real estate company."

Marble Hill insurance agent and businessman Jim Bollinger said it's not hard to understand why retirees in California would want to move to rural Missouri. Said Bollinger, "They can find a house in this area that's comparable in size and quality to the $100,000 to $150,000 house they're living in right now out in California."

Bollinger and Call said another reason for the growth is that people who moved from Marble Hill to St. Louis or other large cities to work are retiring and moving back to Marble Hill and Bollinger County, where the cost of living is much lower than that in the metropolitan areas.

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said the 5 percent growth in population since 1990 is not unexpected in view of the amount of new housing subdivision construction under way the past two years. He said, "We're very happy with our growth and very proud the growth has been orderly and well-planned.

"The 5 percent growth figure clearly shows that Jackson is one of the fastest-growing cities between the St. Louis area and the Arkansas state line. It also backs up our belief that the population of Jackson has now surpassed the 10,000 mark."

Sander cited several reasons for the growth in population: a low unemployment rate in Jackson and Cape Girardeau, low crime rate in Jackson, good schools, good city services, "and what the people of Jackson and myself believe to be a good quality of life."

Sander said the city has taken care to ensure that the growth has been planned and orderly. He said: "We require that all subdivisions be well planned and zoned, with streets and utilities in place. Anytime a new area is annexed into the city, we strive to provide city services to these areas within a reasonable amount of time.

"We want growth, and we're excited about being one of the fastest growing cities in Southeast Missouri. But we also want to be able to retain our small-town atmosphere."

Not all Southeast Missouri communities grew during the past two years. Those cities that declined in population during the same period were: Charleston, down 5 percent; Hayti, down 4.5 percent; Malden, down 4.3 percent; Chaffee, down 2.1 percent; and Caruthersville, down 1.9 percent.

Burson said the declines in population in those cities are consistent with similar decreases in the population of the agricultural counties of Dunklin, Mississippi, Pemiscot, and New Madrid.

"We've seen this same trend in other agricultural areas of Missouri, particularly in the northern part of the state," he said.