Suburban communities growing while Lansing, East Lansing see populations drop – Lansing State Journal

August 17, 2021 Kate

LANSING – New residents flocked to Greater Lansing’s suburban communities during the last decade, while the area’s two largest cities saw a slight dip.

Aurelius Township, Bath Township, Potterville and Watertown Township all saw at least 15% growth in their populations during the last decade, according to the U.S. census. Lansing’s population declined 1% and East Lansing’s fell by 2%.

Potterville City Manager Aaron Sheridan said high demand for single-family homes, people seeking affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and community investment are attracting new residents to the Eaton County community located 15 miles southwest of Lansing.

“This place has got a lot of assets that comparable communities don’t have,” Sheridan said, citing parks, housing developments and infrastructure.

Here are the top five fastest-growing municipalities in Greater Lansing:

Aurelius Township grew by nearly 24%
Bath Township grew by 20%
Potterville grew by 17%
Watertown Township grew by 15%
Meridian Township grew by nearly 11%

The first figures from the 2020 U.S. census released last week show how the population in Greater Lansing evolved in the last 10 years. Among the biggest changes was an increase in diversity in the area, a trend mirrored across the country.

Overall, the area saw its population grow, particularly in Clinton County, which ranked 10th highest among Michigan counties that grew.

Clinton County’s population 5% to 79,128 from 75,382
Ingham County’s population grew 1% to 284,900 from 280,895
Eaton County’s population grew 1% to 109,175 from 107,759

More: Census: Ingham 2nd-most diverse county in Michigan; Clinton among fastest-growing

Michigan’s overall population grew by 2%, totaling nearly 10.1 million people.

Availability, affordability driving growth

Potterville has shown consistent growth since the 1990s, Sheridan said, and the city focused on development plans to retain and attract residents. Potterville’s created a mix of housing options, including single-family subdivisions, retirement communities and affordable options, he said.

“We are growing fast in Potterville,” Sheridan said. “It is not a surprise to me at least.”

Meridian Township Manager Frank Walsh said he thinks three things are driving growth: the education system, public safety and its parks and open spaces.

“Those three things make us a really prime community,” he said.

While the latest census found Meridian Township’s population increased by nearly 11%, Walsh said he’s seen about 1% growth each year.

Much of the growth has occurred around the central and westerns parts of the township, Walsh said. The easternmost part of Meridian Township remains largely rural, he said.

“It’s not like we’re bursting at the seams,” he said. “We’ve done the right things attracting residents to our community.”

Cities, rural townships see a decline

Lansing’s population is 112,644, some 1,653 fewer people than 2010, and East Lansing’s population is 47,741, a drop of 838 people from the prior census.

“Certainly, it’s lower than we thought,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said on Monday.

Since the census efforts were stopped prematurely during the pandemic, Schor said he’d like to ensure that the 10-year count captured the correct data.

Lansing is seeing tremendous growth in new housing options and homes in the city’s neighborhoods are selling, Schor said.

“We’re seeing a lot of folks coming to Lansing, maybe that’s not captured in the census,” he said.

The region’s largest declines were in rural communities in Ingham and Eaton counties.