WHEELING — Local officials have been hopeful in recent years that the decades-long population decline in the area will soon plateau and eventually bounce back. According to new estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week, there are plenty of areas in the country that are growing — the Ohio Valley is just not one of them.

The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released its Vintage 2022 Population Estimates, numbers that are revised annually between decennial census dates to incorporate the latest administrative record data, geographic boundaries and methodologies. The “vintage year” refers to the final year of the time series, with most of the estimated data taken gathered until July 1 of any given “vintage year.”

Most cities in the Ohio Valley took yet another hit, losing population as they have over the past several decades. In fact on the state level, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania were estimated to have lost residents, along with Illinois, California, New York, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Alabama, New Mexico, Kansas, Rhode Island, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii.

Other states in the nation showed population growth, with the fastest growing states estimated to be Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Idaho and Delaware.

Major metropolitan areas like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Baltimore and many others also saw a significant decline. New York City logged the most drastic slide, with an estimated loss of 123,104 residents, according to the newly released data.

In the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, the estimated decline was not as drastic as it has been in recent decades. But Weirton lost about 308 residents from the previous survey up to July of last year, Moundsville lost only 87 and New Martinsville lost 57.

The city of Wheeling’s estimated loss mirrored last year’s number – 278 between 2021 and 2022 compared to 305 between 2020 and 2021.

Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott – never a big fan of the annual U.S. Census Bureau population estimates – attributed the continued loss to the fact that the Ohio Valley has a significant population of senior citizens compared to residents in the younger age ranges. It’s a dynamic that he expects to see change, and he indicated that he is very much looking forward to when it does.

“As I have said in years prior, Wheeling’s population is still paying a price for its skewed demography,” Elliott said. “Because we are so much older here than the national average, we are destined to see deaths outweigh births for the foreseeable future. And though it is impossible to tell from the new Census estimates, I would like to see numbers showing what is happening in terms of people moving into and out of the community before drawing any grand conclusions.”

Undoubtedly, Wheeling is one of the areas in the Ohio Valley that has seen a marked resurgence in historic restoration and an undeniable boom in new housing – particularly downtown housing. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the expansion of remote working has also led local officials to believe that municipalities like the Friendly City are on the verge of seeing a turnaround in the population slide.

“I do know from talking with developers and realtors that we continue to see strong demand for housing across multiple price points in just about every city neighborhood,” Elliott noted. “And so it is incumbent on those of us in local government to continue encouraging the development of additional housing supply capable of meeting this steady demand. Likewise, we must continue efforts to enhance our local quality of life amenities to encourage younger residents to start and grow their families here.”

Elliott indicated that there has been a growing number of younger people planting roots in the area and expressing excitement about what life in a smaller community has to offer.

“As our demographic makeup balances out, it is not unreasonable to assume that we will see population growth before the end of this decade,” Elliott said.

In the city of Moundsville, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 210 fewer residents compared to the 2020 Census. It is estimated that the city’s population of 8,039 residents in 2020 dropped to 7,829 people today.

Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy said he is frequently asked about population loss when speaking to groups who ask about the topic.

“People often ask about population loss and what we can do. I say this: I, nor council cannot impact population loss directly,” Healy said. “What we can do is improve the quality of life. That will help to keep and attract people to the community. I feel that we are doing that in Moundsville, and it is showing.”

Moundsville in recent years has worked to improve its recreational offerings including its Four Seasons Pool and new splash pad, along with installing new playground equipment and benches at parks. Council has also recently increased the wages for its employees and improved benefits in an effort to keep workers and attract new ones to fill vacant positions.

In other areas of the Ohio Valley, it is estimated that Steubenville lost around 300 people, Martins Ferry lost about 45 and St. Clairsville saw a loss of around 32 residents.

Across West Virginia, Parkersburg lost around 263, Huntington lost about 508 residents and Charleston slid by an estimated 799 people. Morgantown was the lone big city in the Mountain State that registered a gain – of about 12 people.

In Ohio, major metropolitan cities of Akron and Cleveland saw declines, while Cincinnati actually saw a rebound by around 828 residents, and Columbus continued its strong growth, adding an estimated 4,920 new residents.