Two East Texas Counties See Increase in Population despite National Trend

LONGVIEW � Populations across the nation grew 0.71% last year, making it the slowest growth since The Great Depression. But KETK reports that here in East Texas, the Smith and Gregg County populations increased by over 1,500. New population estimates released by the U.S Census Bureau show a rise of 283 Gregg County residents and over 1,400 in Smith County.

Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt says being on the list of growing populations with cities experiencing population booms like Houston and Dallas is a great sign, and he says Gregg County offers many of the same accommodations as booming cities. “We’ve got great schools; it’s very economically, in terms of cost of living, affordable. Very good medical community, places to shop, in between the big cities of Dallas and Shreveport, very good highway system — kind of the crossroads of East Texas.”

City officials met Monday to discuss their Comprehensive Plan for the growth of Longview within the next 25 years. City Spokesman Shawn Hara says Longview’s “big city” feel without a “big city” cost is appealing. “Even when other parts of the country were struggling economically, Longview and Gregg County held steady, so we had that economic stability,” says Hara. One of the issues that our comprehensive plan is looking at right now is, how do we maintain that quality of life but also move it forward? How do we continue to provide a quality of life that residents both want and expect now and into the future?”