Editorial: Population news shows vigor of Johnson County

The latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau contain positive news for Johnson County.

People are still flocking to the largest county in Kansas, where civic and government officials pride themselves on trying to offer a high quality of life for residents.

The population data released this month showed the estimated number of people who lived in states, cities, counties and metropolitan areas as of July 1, 2014.

Since the 2010 Census, Johnson County had grown 5.5 percent, adding more than 30,000 people to reach a population of 574,272. However, that was not nearly fast enough to be among the 100 fastest growing counties in the United States.

Johnson County is the second largest county in the Kansas City metropolitan area, still topped by Jackson County’s 683,191. And Johnson County has had the second fastest growth rate since 2010; Platte County’s estimated population surged 6.1 percent.

The largest cities in Johnson County also are having continued success in attracting residents. That’s partly because a few of them continue to show up — for good reasons — on lists of places that are desirable destinations for families.

Among the larger cities:

▪ Overland Park grew 6.5 percent to an estimated population of 184,525.

▪ Olathe was up 5.7 percent to a population of 133,062.

▪ Shawnee’s population rose 3.8 percent to 64,599 people.

Johnson County remains the economic powerhouse in Kansas, which has been troubled by slow job growth in recent months. That’s all the more reason to push ahead with solid plans to upgrade services provided to residents in the county, making it an even more desirable place to live.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 10:23 PM with the headline "Editorial: Population news shows vigor of Johnson County."