Grant County grows by 19.3 percent
MOSES LAKE - New industry contributed to Grant County's 19.3 percent population growth in the 2010 US Census.
Grant County's population expanded from 74,698, during the 2000 census, to 89,120, in the 2010 census, according to figures from the state Office of Financial Management.
The new numbers were no surprise to Debbie Doran-Martinez, the executive director of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.
"That's really in line with what I was thinking because you have to consider the new industry that's come to our region in the last 10 years," she commented.
The data centers in Quincy, new plants in Moses Lake and wind tower manufacturer Katana Summit in Ephrata contributed to Grant County's growth.
"Growth is a good thing," she commented. "We need growth in order to thrive and prosper. Over the last 10 years, we have been pretty steady."
From Jan. 1 to Tuesday, the chamber office received nearly 200 more inquiries compared to the same time frame last year.
"In a nutshell, they are inquiring about the national media (attention) we have gotten," Doran-Martinez commented.
Callers are also asking if there are jobs in Moses Lake and the vicinity.
People want to know more details about visiting the area, permanent relocation and obtaining relocation packages containing area data.
"We have received quite a few employment calls, with people looking to get hired at SGL (Automotive Carbon Fibers)," she said.
They also want to know about employment opportunities at REC Silicon, which is Grant County's seventh largest employers, according to the Grant County Economic Development Council's (EDC) website.
The Moses Lake chamber office is also working toward launching a capital campaign to fund an updated building.
The structure was built in the late 1950s and received an addition in the early 1980s.
"We realize we're oftentimes the first impression businesses have," she commented. "They're walking into a very dated building. We do everything we can to provide all the information we can in a friendly and polite matter."
Her ultimate vision is to have various organizations located in one building, like the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau.
The Moses Lake chamber's board is in discussions and has a capital committee formed to identity what it wants.
"Once that's in place, we will roll it out to the community," she commented
There is room for the chamber to expand at its existing site.
Grant County saw huge growth in the Mattawa area, which showed a 70 percent increase, making it the largest growing town in Grant County, said Jon Smith, managing director of the Grant County EDC.
Mattawa ranked 20th in the state for growth.
In the past 10 years, Mattawa expanded from 2,609 people to 4,437 people.
Next in line was Moses Lake, with 36.2 percent growth, from 14,953 residents to 20,366 residents.
Quincy grew by 33.82 percent, from 5,044 people to 6,750 people.
Royal City increased by 17.39 percent, from 1,823 people to 2,140 people.
Other growth areas were: Hartline, 12.69 percent, Ephrata, 12.57 percent, Grand Coulee, 10,14 percent, Warden, 5.82 percent, Coulee Dam, 5.17 percent and Electric City, 4.99 percent.
Cities decreasing in size were: George, by 27 people, or 5.11 percent, Coulee City, by 38 people, or 6.33 percent, Wilson Creek, by 22 people, or 9.69 percent, Soap Lake, by 219 people, or 12.64 percent and Krupp, by 12 people, or 20 percent.
The top 10 fastest growing counties in the state by percentage are: Franklin County, 58.39, Clark County, 23.21, Benton County, 22.95 percent, Mason County, 22.86, Kittitas County, 22.64, Thurston County, 21.66, Whatcom County, 20.58, Grant County, 19.31, Douglas County, 17.88 and Snohomish County, 17.71.
Neighboring Adams County ranked 12th in the state for growth, increasing 14 percent, and is still 31st in the state for county population.
Adams County's population was 16,428 in 2000 and 18,728 in 2010.