BonnerSprings.com

With the 2009 estimated census numbers available, both Bonner Springs and Edwardsville are enjoying the fact that each saw an increase in population.

Bonner Springs’ population rose by 102 people, going from 7,146 in 2008 to 7,248 in 2009.

“It means we’re growing,” said Bonner Springs city clerk Rita Hoag. “That means more property taxes and means more funding per capita from state funding.”

The increase in 2009 was only slightly less than the 105 increase the city saw from 2007 to 2008. According to census numbers, Bonner Springs’ population has been steadily growing since 2004. The last time the city saw a decrease in population was of 34 people from 2002 to 2003. The city also saw a decrease of 27 from 2001 to 2002.

Hoag said she couldn’t pinpoint an exact reason why the city has seen a constant increase in the past few years, but she said there must be some nice positives within the city to attract more people.

“It’s always positive, we want to see numbers go up,” Hoag said. “Its helps us get additional funding per capita to supply citizens with the most important things.”

In Edwardsville, the city saw an increase of 35 people, going from 4,493 in 2008 to 4,528 in 2009. This is the biggest increase the city has seen in the last 10 years.

Edwardsville City Administrator Michael Webb said he felt the estimated census numbers were in line with what he had estimated the population at. He said there are no perfect census numbers, but thought the 4,528 estimate was fair.

While the about 1 percent growth may seem small, Webb said, given the recent economy, it is reasonable to assume growth would be slow.

Webb also noted the city had some recent positives in the housing market. He said 10 new housing units had been built and some houses that were vacant in both the Williamson Farms and Riverfalls subdivisions were now occupied.

Despite the positive numbers, both Hoag and Webb said they are more interested in seeing the 2010 results when more exact numbers are being tracked, which is done by the census every 10 years.

Both Bonner Springs and Edwardsville did run into problems when the 2010 census questionnaires were mailed to residents. Some residents in Bonner Springs, had their city listed as Basehor while some residents in Edwardsville had their city listed as Kansas City, Kan. With the city limits running so close together, Webb said he still wasn’t sure how the census office would differentiate between certain zip codes.

Webb said he thought, however, that both Bonner Springs and Edwardsville would see more increased populations in the future. As more development, including a casino, the Wizards soccer stadium and Cerner office complex, comes to the Legends at Village West area, growth in the western Wyandotte County area is easy to see.

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