Anderson County continues to see population growth

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Almost 12,000 people moved to Anderson in 2019, according to data released September 2nd by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

The bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey (ACS), which examines migration patterns to-and-from every county in the United States, reported 11,915 people moved to Anderson County from other parts of the state and nation. The report also showed that 11,041 moved from Anderson County to somewhere else, meaning that Anderson had a net population gain from migration of 874 persons. All told, 22,956 people moved either to or from Anderson County in 2019.

“These county-specific numbers give us a chance to check popular assumptions”, said Anderson County Governmental Affairs Director Steve Newton. “For example—people assume that everybody is moving to Greenville, and that may be true with regard to other jurisdictions. But these numbers show that Anderson County had a net migration gain versus Greenville of more than one thousand persons.”

The ACS reports that in 2019 3,167 people moved to Anderson from Greenville, while 2,135 moved to Greenville from Anderson, giving Anderson County a net migration advantage of 1,032. The county also had notable net migration gains from places such as Denton TX (+226), San Diego CA (+174), Chatham GA (+163), Onslow NC (+151) and Knox TN (+147).

The County did experience net migration loss versus some other jurisdictions. The county had a net loss of 789 residents to Beaufort County in 2019. Anderson had in-state net loss of population in excess of 300 persons to Oconee, Berkeley, and Abbeville counties.

The county’s largest out-of-state migration loss (-271 residents) was to Rensselaer County NY, a community of approximately 160,000 located in eastern New York.

“That one has me a little perplexed, and it continues an established pattern of population loss to that community” said Newton. “It seems a lovely place, but I can’t immediately explain why 200 some-odd people chose to leave Anderson and go there every year like clockwork. Its like the swallows showing up at Capistrano.”

2019 was the third consecutive year where Anderson County had a net population gain from migration. Prior to that, the county had a five-year period of net migration population loss.

“Without some specific data garnered from study and surveying, its hard to say with certainty why people move where they do when they do”, said Newton. “I’m sure that people’s reasons are an amalgamation of quality of life, economic opportunity, climate, cost of living, family, any number of things. But as for me, I wouldn’t wanted to live anywhere else and I’m glad I made Anderson my home.”