Fayette County's

population growth rate slowed last year to its lowest in years, while

Coweta County's numbers surpassed its neighbor to the east for the first

time since the 1980s, according to estimates released this week by the

U.S. Census Bureau.

During the

period from July 1, 2001 to July 1, 2002, Fayette County added just 2,033

people, the Census estimated, for a growth rate of 2.1 percent.

Fayette's population

was estimated at 96,611 on July 1 last year. Coweta County's was 97,771,

for a growth rate of 3.7 percent over the previous year.

Coweta added

3,699 people during the period, the Census said.

Georgia's most

populous county, Fulton, registered near zero growth during the period,

according to Census estimates, even while residential construction continued

at a healthy clip in the south end of the county. The Census said Fulton

had just 254 net population gain, to 825,431.

Fulton's stagnant

growth was mirrored in many of the state's largest urban counties. Both

Columbus-Muscogee County and Augusta-Richmond County lost population during

the year, while DeKalb and Chatham, like Fulton, had negligible growth.

But three Metro

Atlanta "exurban" counties, including one Southside county,

continued to rank among the top 10 fastest growing counties in the nation.

Henry County

ranked third in growth nationally, adding 9,280 people for a total of

139,699, or a rate of 7.1 percent.

Forsyth County,

north of Atlanta, ranked fourth, adding 7,741 people, bringing its population

to 116,924, also a rate of 7.1 percent.

And Newton

County, east of Atlanta on I-20, made the list at No. 7 nationally, growing

by 4,451 people to 71,594.

Rockwell County

in Texas, near Dallas, recorded the fastest growth in the nation, at 7.9

percent.

Fayette County's

growth was still better than the state as a whole. Georgia grew by about

150,000 people during the period to about 8.5 million, the Census estimated,

or a rate of just 1.8 percent. That's significantly less than the record-setting

growth the state recorded in the late 1990s, and the first significant

slowdown in Georgia growth in more than a decade credited with the state's

struggling service economy, hit hard after 9/11 last year.

Chris Clark

of the Fayette County Development Authority said he wasn't surprised by

Fayette's slow-growth figures, citing the significant reduction in new

housing starts in Peachtree City as the community nears "build-out",

and a county landuse plan that restricts dense housing in unincorporated

areas.

In fact, Clark

said Fayette County's lack of sewer service will continue to be the driving

force in controlling the rate of growth for years to come.

The county

plan allows for a rate of growth of about 3 to 4 percent a year, Clark

said, and this year's Census estimate is proof that Fayette's strategy

is working.

Ironically,

though, the population estimate the development authority and other county

agencies use for planning purposes is significantly higher than the Census

numbers, Clark said.

As of Jan.

1 of this year, Fayette's population totaled 102,000, according to Clark's

calculations. He said the county uses similar methods as the Census to

make the estimate, including housing trends, demographics and economic

factors. It also considers the annual population estimates released by

the Atlanta Regional Commission, another compilation based on more speculation

than hard evidence.

The ARC numbers

for 2002, released on April 1 this year, showed Fayette with 97,300 people.

That estimate reflects a growth rate of 3.3 percent from the previous

year, higher than the Census prediction.

Clark said

Fayette's demographics and a steady adherence to the land use plan in

place should mean more controlled, steady growth for years to come.

"We're

really one of the smallest counties in the state in land area, but because

of the leadership we've had and the type of growth we've sought out, we're

in good shape for the future," Clark said.

More detailed census figures

can be found at www.census.gov.

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