Clinton, Hickman County and Region Lose Population

Ivan Potter


CLINTON, KY: March 20, 2011 -The official 2010 Federal Census held three sets of local and regional drama for the city of Clinton, Hickman County and the four river counties of the Jackson Purchase.  These population dramas concerned those who lost population as opposed to those who gained population.

Regional No Growth Zone

Clinton’s new population figure is 1,388 or a loss of 1.9 % from its 2000 Census number. According to the federal government, Clinton only lost 27 citizens during the past decade. Hickman County showed a much larger loss of population. The new number for the county is 4,902 or a 7.9 % lost from its 2000 population base. This meant that the county lost 425 people over the past ten years.

On a regional perspective, Hickman County joined Fulton, Carlisle, and Ballard counties as a new No Growth Zone within the Jackson Purchase.  All four counties lost population according to the latest official figures from the 2010 Census. Fulton Co. lost 12.1 %. Carlisle County lost 4.6 % and Ballard County lost 0.4% of their population.

River vs. Lake Development

A general theory of regional development is emerging within the future growth of the eight counties of the Jackson Purchase. Strong economic and population growth will be directed into the counties that share common borders with Kentucky Lake. Counties that border the Mississippi River are slipping into a  deeper economic depression as jobs and population leave the area.

Rural Hollowing Out

A major new trend that is emerging from these 2010 population counts is the hollowing out of community population base in the counties that border the Mississippi River. The four counties of Fulton, Hickman, Carlisle, and Ballard have ten small towns as their community and cultural centers. These ten towns are listed with population loss percentages: Kevil -34.5 %; Columbus -25.8%; Arlington -18%; Wickliffe -13.4%; Fulton -11.9%; Bardwell -9.5%; Hickman -6.4%; Barlow -5.6%; La Center -2.8% and Clinton -1.9%.