Census numbers show slight growth in Washtenaw County population

That’s the third-highest growth percentage behind Keweenaw County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Kalamazoo County. Keweenaw County added 32 residents, which was an increase of nearly 1.5 percent of its population. Kalamazoo County saw an increase of 2,250 residents, a 0.91 percent increase.

Washtenaw County increased its population from 2008 to 2009.

In terms of raw numbers, only Oakland County and Kent County had bigger numbers of people moving in, the data shows.

Kent County added 3,592 residents to reach 608,315. Oakland County increased by 3,156 residents to climb to 1,205,508.

Overall, only 21 counties in Michigan showed any growth in population. All but Keweenaw had under 1 percent growth.

Susan Kellam, the relocation director for the Charles Reinhart Company Realtors, said she would estimate that between 80 percent and 85 percent of new Washtenaw County residents are drawn here from other states, not from other Michigan counties. She said that percentage has remained about the same for the last several years.

“Our area continues to be a magnet for highly educated transferees who relish the opportunity to join our local universities," she said. "Many new, start-up companies are attracting new employees to our community. While there has been caution and conservative hiring with many existing companies over the past several years, recent announcements regarding companies relocating to the area are encouraging and exciting.”

Kellam also said not everyone is buying a house when they arrive, with many deciding to rent apartments for the first year or so. She said there’s also been an uptick in senior citizens who are retiring to Ann Arbor.

Wayne County was the biggest loser, shedding 1.2 percent of its population. It led the nation in the category.

Michigan itself remained relatively stable, losing 0.33 percent of its population, or 32,759 residents. That drops Michigan to under 9,969,721 residents.

David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at davidjesse@annarbor.com.