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County population decreases
Published 12:00pm Wednesday, July 1, 2009Otter Tail County’s population has decreased for a third year.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Tuesday show that the county’s population was 56,786 in 2008. That’s down from 57,123 in 2006 and 56,869 in 2007, according to the Census Bureau.
Between 2000 and 2008, the county’s highest population number occurred in 2003 with a population estimate of 57,332.
Otter Tail County Coordinator Larry Krohn said he couldn’t comment until he reviewed the report.
The population of Fergus Falls has decreased by 0.1 percent between 2007 and 2008. The Census Bureau estimated Fergus Falls’ 2008 population to be 13,636, a decrease of 20 people from its 2007 estimate.
But Fergus Falls has seen an increase of 1.22 percent between 2000 and 2008. The city’s population was 13,471 in the 2000, according to the Census Bureau.
Meanwhile, Perham’s population has increased steadily every year since 2000.
Perham’s population in 2000 was 2,576. In 2008, the Census Bureau estimates that 2,730 people live in Perham.
Mark Sievert, Fergus Falls administrator, and Kelcey Klemm, Perham administrator, weren’t available for comment by press time Wednesday.
Other cities in Otter Tail County has remained relatively steady between 2008 and 2007:
Battle Lake: Down three to 772
Bluffton: Down one to 209
Clitherall: Down one to 113
Dalton: Down one to 241
Deer Creek: Up three to 325
Dent: Down one to 184
Elizabeth: Down one to 183
Erhard: Down one to 149
Henning: Down four to 800
New York Mills: Down one to 1,203
Ottertail: Up three to 533
Parkers Prairie: Up two to 1,008
Rothsay: Up one to 234
Pelican Rapids: Down four to 2,311
Underwood: No change at 337
