Annual Numbers Good

June 15, 2020
Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places in Indiana were recently released and featured in regional media coverage.
 
 
According to the report, the estimated population for the City of Huntington increased in 2019 over 2018 by 135 or roughly 1%. 
 
 "While that growth rate is only an estimate, Huntington is hard at work pursuing all the strategies recommended by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership as part of their Road to One Million Project" said Mark Wickersham, executive director for the Huntington County Economic Development Corporation.  "Unfortunately, the data, while intended as an annual estimate, can be reported to show decline in population depending on which data points the researcher uses; for example over the 10 year period, the population of Huntington declined by 253," he said.  "The annual estimate (2018-2019) for Huntington's population statistics is consistent with the Region and a 100 year trend line for our Community," Wickersham added.
 
Applications for new residential construction permits have been on the increase in Huntington over the last few years.  Industrial growth is increasing and the industrial occupancy rate is at 98%.  The City has under taken, with Regional and State collaboration, downtown revitalization efforts with the UB/ODD Fellows Block project, which adds 37 market rate, loft apartments downtown.  Downtown retail occupancy has recovered from the 2008 recession with four building restoration projects under way at this time.
 
Huntington University is growing.  Huntington is served by a world-class, award winning healthcare network in Parkview Huntington.  Huntington residents enjoy unlimited bandwidth via fiber to the premises infrastructure from MetroNet and Heartland REMC is in the process of an $18 million project to bring fiber to the premises in rural areas of Huntington County.
 
A world-class manufacturing sector is at the heart of Huntington's  economy.  Continental Structural Plastics Co., builds the exterior body panels for iconic cars like Chevy's Mid-engine Corvette.  Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems engineers, designs and builds braking systems, transmission enhancements and other high-tech systems for commercial trucks.  Ecolab's Huntington facility has been at the forefront of fighting COVID-19 as a global leader in the production of sanitizers.  Italian-based Golfo di Napoli makes Italian cheese and other products in their Huntington County facility.  And the award winning Two-EEs Winery calls Huntington County Home.
 
"Generally, the data is a reminder of the importance of participating in the actual U.S. Census.  There are always good things happening in Huntington.  While there is more to be done to preserve and enhance our economic vitality, our quality of life and recent projects are exciting, and we have an economic development team committed to continued success," Wickersham concluded.