‘Washington is one of our most stable counties’ Washington County 1 of 17 to reach peak population in 2018

WASHINGTON COUNTY - Of Iowa's 99 counties only 17 reached peak population in 2018 and Washington and Jefferson Counties have made the list.

Michelle Redlinger, Executive Director for the Washington Chamber of Commerce, said this does not mean Washington County is done growing, it just means the county has continued to grow and had the most people it ever has in 2018.

'What the map is showing is that Washington's population is at an all-time high. Unlike the majority of counties in the rest of the state, Washington has continued to see population growth,” she said. 'Most of the other communities that are experiencing a peak in their population or more urban areas. We are one of the few in the state that are still experiencing high population but we're also one of the few that are rural, which makes us unique.”

Redlinger said the last time a census was taken was in 2018 making this the most recent data. According ot the United States Censur Bureau, the population of Washington County in 2010 was 21,704 and grew to 22,141 by 2018.

Of Iowa's 99 counties, 41 reached peak population in 1900 or earlier, meaning the growth has stopped or declined. Reaching peak population now is a positive thing for the county because it shows the county has continued to grow over time.

'It's exciting proof that Washington is one of our most stable counties, especially a rural stable county, in the state. I think that is attributed to a nice balance of businesses that serve the agricultural market and we also have a wide variety of traditional business,” she said.

Redlinger continued by saying when the nation faced a recession a few years back, Washington saw growth through people supporting local businesses.

'It also shows the projects we are investing in like the auditorium, the remodel of the high school, wellness park and YMCA ­- all these things we are doing to invest in our community is providing payback because it's keeping people and our population high,” she said.

Those amenities are just in the City of Washington but the county as a whole is growing, she said. Kalona has continued to grow by providing many new assets like the YMCA and a robust downtown.

To ensure growth continues, a variety of initiatives are underway. Redlinger said from a chamber perspective, she is working to continue strong relationships with other chambers in the county.

'The name of the game right now is partnerships. We have bigger competitors when you talk about the electronic era that we're in and our county works really well together and we do a lot of collaborative events. One of the bigger examples of that would be the Y and how they have expanded to have a location in Kalona and Wellman in Washington,” she said.

Redlinger said one of her prouder accomplishments is the hotel/motel in the county that is specifically used to promote tourism. While that board is looking at projects, so is the chamber with their efforts to save the Smouse House, a historic landmark in Washington.

'Our goal with this project is not only to save this building but also to have greater visibility so we can serve more people, make personal connections with new residents and ultimately have more collaboration with the communities in our county and be able to serve them out of that location,” she said.

Redlinger said she feels having a central hub will allow for visitors to find out information about the surrounding communities and allow them to the opportunity to visit.

One of the ways the community has been able to continue its growth, she said, is through grants provided by the Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF). The WCRF is a nonprofit license holder for the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.

According to its website, the foundation has given away more than $44 million in competitive and municipal grants since 2006 with the purpose of making 'Washington County, Iowa a better place to live and work.”

'I personally left Washington in the late 90s and we were in a place where our downtown was suffering a lot of decline and when I came back and the casino was here you could see the investment and the improvements,” Redlinger said.

Main Street Washington, also has helped improve the downtown within the city of Washington, she said.

'When you visit another community with a Main Street (organization) you can see the difference and we are very fortunate that most of our stores are full and people are taking pride in their buildings. That's all thanks to Main Street,” she said.