Jackson County leaders tout population and tourism growth in state of the county address

JACKSON COUNTY, Ala. (WAFF) -Jackson County Commission Chairman Bill Nance says more people are moving into the area, bringing revenue along with them. Now, the commission working on a three-year plan keep that growth going.

“You’re starting to see growth in our municipalities,” Nance said.

Nance says there are about 2,000 more people living in Jackson County than in 2021.He says it’s a big increase for a county that saw steady population decline in the years prior.

“If you go back to the 2000 census to the 2020 census, the population of Jackson declined almost two and a half percent and from the latest data, we’re starting to see that increase again,” said Nance.

President of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Rick Roden says it’s welcomed growth. More people means more dollars coming into the area.

He hopes it continues, as it could mean more bodies to fill jobs in struggling industries.

“We need an increase in population. One of the number one needs not just in Jackson County, not in just Alabama but across the United States is our business and industries are having a hard time finding workers,” Roden said. “If we can bring new rooftops to Jackson County, new people, that’s an opportunity for our business and industries to find people that can fill those jobs that are much much needed.”

Nance says the next step is to develop a plan that will provide those housing and service needs to the influx of residents. He says a grant from the Alabama Department of Commerce will fund a five-year plan to improve infrastructure within the county.

“We received 187,000 dollars to help us put together what we have termed a Jackson County Resiliency Plan,” Nance said. “This is [going to] be important to us to have an idea of where we want to go and what we need to do to get there with the future economic growth of Jackson County,”

The commission is expected to begin work on that plan at the start of the new year.

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