Warren County’s population continues to rank fifth in the state, with the number of residents now estimated at 104,023, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released today.

Warren County’s population grew by 12.4 percent from 92,522 in April 2000. The increase ranked the county fifth in actual numbers and 11th percentage wise. For the same time period, Kentucky grew at 4.9 percent and the nation grew at 7.2 percent.

“So (Warren County was) well above the national average,” state demographer Ron Crouch said.

The Northeast only grew by 2 percent; the Midwest grew 3.1 percent; the South, of which Kentucky is a part, grew 10.2 percent and the West grew 10.9 percent.

“I think the states that have the most opportunity to do well (in terms of population growth) are Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia,” Crouch said. “They have a four-seasons climate, (adequate) water and good interstates.”

Kentucky had three of the nation’s top 100 fastest growing counties from 2000 to 2007, based on percentage increase. Those were Spencer County, ranking No. 24 nationwide with a 43.1 percent increase; Boone County at 76, with a 30.8 percent increase and Scott County at 82, with a 29.9 percent increase.

All three of those counties, as is Warren County, are near interstates, Crouch said.

The nation’s fastest growing county was Kendall, Ill., with a 77.5 percent growth rate.

While most of the greatest growth has occurred in urbanized areas, Crouch said that Kentucky’s rural counties also have experienced growth, unlike other states, which have lost population.

Just 35 of Kentucky’s 120 counties lost population; that compares to some states like Alabama where 44 of its 67 counties lost population and 42 of New York’s 62 counties lost population, according to Crouch.

One of the counties losing population was in the Barren River area - Monroe County lost 0.8 percent from 2000 to 2007. Growth in the rest of the region ranged from 1.9 percent in Butler County to Barren County’s 8.3 percent and Warren County’s 12.4 percent.

Much of the growth in Kentucky and other Southern states can be attributed to in-migration from other states, whereas most of the growth in the West and Southwest is from international migration.

“It’s like I’ve been saying all along ... the Southeast is going to become the new economic engine and ... the Southwest will be the new Appalachia,” he said.

For Kentucky, that means a work force readily available because of good roads, with access to continuing education.

Crouch has continually touted Bowling Green’s educational institutions, its roads, health care facilities and jobs as drawing factors for continued growth. During the same time period of Warren County’s growth, Western Kentucky University’s enrollment has grown significantly. Fall enrollment on the campus was more than 19,000, marking the 10th year of increased enrollment.

Now, Bowling Green Technical College Franklin Center at Interstate 65 in Franklin is poised to take advantage of that growth.

The new center will offer training for employees of recently announced industries, including Wabash National. The school is expected to offer training in welding, a skill that will be required of new employees there.

Simpson County grew 4.1 percent from April 2000 to July 2007.

“With what has gone on in Franklin the last two years - the new training center, the widening of Interstate 65 which makes even greater access, announcements of industry expansions and now the new Wabash National - we really only see a bright future and growth for Franklin and Simpson County,” said Steve Thurmond, executive director of the Franklin-Simpson Chamber of Commerce.

Thurmond said local governments and agencies, including the chamber and the county’s economic development authority, have worked closely together to bring industry and continued growth the community.

“I think the attitude in Simpson County right now is conducive to continued growth ... and that excitement carries over to others that visit our community,” Thurmond said.