Beavercreek, Fairborn, Springboro, and Union City all saw growth of 3 percent or more. Trotwood saw the region’s largest population decline, outside of the city of Dayton, at 2.5 percent.
“I think people continue to recognize that Brookville is a great small-town community. Got a great atmosphere,” said city manager Gary Burkholder.
During the last official U.S. Census in 2010, Brookville’s population was 5,884, an increase from 5,289 in 2000.
“There are so many things to do even for a small community,” said city council member Chuck Letner. “Our parks are bar none above anybody else’s for a city this size. Our schools are excellent … That’s always a big draw.”
The American Community Survey is the census bureau’s way of providing population and demographic estimates for all communities more frequently than the official census, which is conducted every 10 years.
The survey puts out 1-year and 5-year estimates annually. The 1-year estimates provide information on communities of 50,000 people or more. The 5-year estimates, which averages data from fives years of surveys, are the only ones that include smaller communities.
The Dayton Daily News analyzed data on 22 area cities under 50,000 to see how much population has shifted. Fifteen of those 22 cities saw population growth while the rest saw modest declines, according to the estimates.
Attractive amenities
Brian Smith moved to Brookville in 2005 when his job was transferred to the city in northwest Montgomery County, near the Preble County line. In the years since, his job location has changed, but Smith, his wife and two children have stayed.
“We love this town,” he said, adding that affordability was one reason his family chose to move there.
Besides the proximity to his work at the time, Smith said they were drawn to Brookville because there was new, affordable housing, the income tax rate was low, the schools were highly rated and the city offered a feeling of small-town life with the amenities of Dayton just 20 minutes down the road.
Brookville Local School District generally scores higher than average on the annual state report card. Of 37 local school districts, it ranked eighth on the most recent report card for performance index.
As it added more people Brookville has become younger, according to census estimates. The median age has dropped to 43 from 46.8.
“I see more millennials moving in,” Letner said. “A lot of these folks have been here 10 years or less, but they love it.”
Brookville has a lot to offer in terms of parks, recreation and other amenities, said city council member Margo Cantrell.
“I think people are starting to discover us,” she said.
Fellow council member Bob Apgar said the growth has been slow and steady, which is good, because it has allowed the city’s infrastructure to keep up.
“We’re still a farming community and we haven’t forgotten that,” Letner said.
The city previously was in talks to move the Montgomery County Fair to Brookville, and Apgar said he thought at the time that would have been a great addition to the community and possibly a generator of more growth.
But talks with developer Miller-Valentine and the Montgomery County Agricultural Society dragged on, he said. In the end, Miller-Valentine said it concluded that the Brookville site was not viable and negotiations ceased.
Brookville Local Schools Superintendent Tim Hopkins said so far the city’s growth hasn’t been felt in the student population. The district’s campuses, built in 2005 and 2011, have plenty of room if the growth continues, he said.
More people has meant slightly more tax revenue for Brookville, Burkholder said, but not enough to keep up with the loss of state local fund dollars. Voters recently approved a quarter-percent income tax increase and now the city is eliminating half of its income tax credit so people who commute out of Brookville will have to pay 1 percent to the city.
Smith said he worries those moves might make Brookville less attractive going forward, but the city’s other amenities, including city services, remain strong.
Other population shifts
Montgomery County’s total population declined by less than 1 percent during the comparable periods. Much of the decline comes from the city of Dayton, but some smaller communities have seen reductions in population following job losses in the region.
“There’s a direct correlation to the fact that we’re coming out of an economic shift that involved somewhat of a migration of people looking for jobs when this region lost major employers like General Motors and NCR,” said Trotwood City Manager Quincy Pope, Sr.
Trotwood’s population declined by about 650 people, according to the latest five-year estimates. But Pope sees stabilization in the future.
“We believe we have a strong, affordable housing base in the city of Trotwood. We’ve had some success now in bringing back light manufacturing,” he said. “We’ve begun looking at our park systems. We know that having a strong parks system attracts families.”
About a dozen area communities saw very minor movement in population size in both directions.
Miamisburg’s population estimate was up less than 1 percent, to 20,119.
“While we’re always pleased to see this number increase, which has been the trend in Miamisburg in recent decades, this is just a minor adjustment and hasn’t had any impact of note on our service levels or tax base,” said Miamisburg Public Information Officer Gary Giles.
West Carrollton City Manager Brad Townsend said his city’s estimated 1.4 percent population decrease wasn’t a surprise and had actually been predicted in a recent study contracted by the city.
The study attributed expected population decline to an increasing population of “empty-nesters” and single-parent households, but Townsend said the trend should rebound and remain stable through 2020.
“We do not anticipate that this small decline will have any significant impact on our city or tax base,” he said.
Moraine is likewise unconcerned about a 0.9 percent drop in population, about 60 people.
“Job growth in Moraine has been positive, with highlights including the Fuyao and Heidelburg developments, so there doesn’t appear to be a direct economic cause,” said planning director Mike Hammes. “Based on the information available, the city does not believe this drop in estimated population to be of concern.”
Negative percent change in population
Positive percent change in population
No statistically significant change
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