Montgomery County Population Surpasses 1 Million

This just in from the Planning Department at M-NCPPC: Montgomery County has reached the 1 million mark.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Montgomery County’s population reached 1,004,709 last July. Recently released data shows that Montgomery County, the largest jurisdiction in the state since 1989, is now the first county in Maryland to reach the population milestone.

The Census data shows Montgomery County’s population gained over 13,000 people between July 2011 and July 2012, up from a revised 991,645 the previous year, a 1.3 percent increase.

Most of the population increase is due to births, what demographers call a “net natural increase” of 7,630 people. In the period, 13,097 births exceeded 5,467 deaths.

The rest of the increase is attributed to 8,700 people migrating into the county from abroad, offsetting the net loss of 3,100 people moving out of the county during the period. A trend of international migration that began in 1990 has not slowed.

Demographers say those changes are a result of a rebounding economy and housing market, which provides the confidence and means to set up house elsewhere. During an economic downturn, people tend to stay put.