Special to the Enquirer

Cities and towns in Morgan County have seen steady growth, according to 2020 Census data.

The population of the City of Hartselle increased from 14,255 to 15,455 in the past decade – an 8.4 percent growth.

“It may not be 10 percent, but I’ll take it,” Mayor Randy Garrison said, “and we continue to see a number of houses under construction. We’ve got one subdivision under construction with 500 homes, and within a year, I think we will see more subdivisions.”

Hartselle is not the only municipality in the county to experience growth.

Decatur saw an increase of 4 percent, while the populations of the towns of Eva and Priceville increased by 13.5 percent and 32.1 percent, respectively, since 2010.

Morgan County increased its population from 119,490 to 123,421 – which didn’t surprise Commission Chairman Ray Long. He said he expected the increase, adding he is also seeing signs the county is in for a bigger jump in the coming years.

“We are seeing a lot of homes under construction, especially in Priceville, Trinity, Hartselle and other scattered spots,” Long said.

Long said he thinks the COVID-19 pandemic slowed some of the county’s growth.

Statewide, Alabama’s population increased by nearly 245,000 people.

Some rural parts of the state continue to shrink, and Morgan County is not immune. The Town of Falkville saw a decrease in its population of 6.4 percent from 2010 to 2020.

Bayne Hughes contributed to this report.