Counting heads

McClain County has been edged out of first place as the fastest growing county in Oklahoma.

According to figures released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau, McClain County in second place still garnered a hefty 20.7 percent population gain since 2010.

The 2020 Census counted county’s total population at 41,552 – 7,156 more than  in 2010.

This time the fastest growing honor goes to Canadian County with a total population of  154,405 and a gain 38,384 heads or 33.6 percent.

Other counties experiencing double-digit growth include Logan, 49,555, 18.4 percent; Cleveland, 295,,528, 15.6 percent; Tulsa, 669,279, 10.9 percent; and Oklahoma, 796,292, and Wagoner, 80,981, each at 10.8 percent.

Statewide only 27 of 77 counties saw population increases, while numbers fell in 50 counties.

Other counties on the plus side of the ledger are Rogers, 95,420, 9.6 percent; Bryan, 46,067,8.6 percent; Love, 10,146, 7,7 percent; Payne, 81,646, 5.6 percent; Grady, 54,795, 4.5 percent; Pottawatomie, 72,454, 4.3 percent; Custer, 28,513, 3.8 percent; Texas, 21,384, 3.8 percent; Garfield, 62,846, 3.7 percent; Major, 7,782, 3.4 percent;

Murray, 13,904, 3.1 percent; Washington, 52,455, 2.9 percent; Creek, 71,754,2.6 percent; Woodward, 20,470, 1.9 percent; Pontotoc, 38,065, 1.5 percent; Beckham, 22,410, 1.3 percent; Kingfisher, 15,184,  and Alfalfa, 5,699, each at 1 percent; Carter, 48,003, 0.9 percent; and Cherokee, 47,067, 0.2 percent.

Counties losing double-digit percentages were Blaine, 8,735, 26.9 percent; Jefferson, 5,337, 17.5 percent;Latimer, 9,444, 15.3 percent;Harmon, 2,488, 14.9 percent; Adair, 19,495, 14.1 percent; Tillman, 6,968, 12.8 percent; Greer, 5,491, 12 percent; Nowata, 9,320, 11.5 percent; Harper, 3,272, 11.2 percent; Coal, 5,266, 11.1 percent; Cotton, 5,527, 10.8 percent; Beaver, 5,049, 10.4 percent; and Choctaw, 14,204, 10 percent.

Continuing the decline were Kiowa, 8,509, 9.9 percent; Ellis, 3,749, 9.7 percent; Haskell, 11,561, 9.5 percent; Caddo, 26,945, 9 percent; Okmulgee, 36,706, 8.4 percent; Grant, 4,169, 7.9 percent; Seminole, 23,556, 7.6 percent; Sequoyah, 39,281, 7.3 percent; Cimarron, 2,296, and Okfuskee, 11,310, each at 7.2 percent; McCurtain, 30,814, and Garvin, 25,656, each at 7 percent;

Dewey, 4,484, 6.8 percent; Muskogee, 66,339, and Pushmataha, 10,812, each at 6.6 percent; McIntosh, 18,941, 6.5 percent; Jackson, 24,785, and Johnston, 10,272, each at 6.3 percent;Pawnee, 15,553, 6.2 percent; Craig, 14,107,, and Washita, 10,924, each at 6.1 percent; Roger Mills, 3,442, 5.6 percent; Noble, 10,924, 5.5 percent; Mayes, 39,046, 5.4 percent;

Kay, 43,700, Stephens, 42,848, and Ottawa, 30,285, each at 4.9 percent; LeFlore, 48,129, Pittsburg, 43,773, and Hughes, 13,367, each at 4.5 percent; Osage, 45,818, 3.5 percent; Marshall, 15,312, 3.3 percent; Woods, 8,624, 2.9 percent; Delaware, 40,397, 2.6 percent; Comanche, 121,125, and Lincoln, 33,458, each at 2.4 percent; and Atoka, 14,143, 0.3 percent.

The Census Bureau counted 331,449,281 people nationwide, a gain of 22,703,743 above the 2010 count.

That is a population gain of 7.4 percent and outpaces  Oklahoma’s more modest gain of 5.5 percent.

The state’s population stands at 3,959,353, compared to 3,751,351 in 2010.