Local leaders take exception to bleak forecast for Scott County

The numbers paint a bleak picture of the future for Western Kansas.
By 2044, Scott County is projected to see a population decline of 12.6%.
Finney County’s population decline is projected at 19.4%.
And they’re the lucky ones.
The population loss in other area counties is forecast at: Wichita (44.9%), Lane (61.3%), Kearny (32.9%), Logan (32.1%) and Thomas (37.4%).
The only counties west of Hays expected to buck that trend are Gray (+5.6%) and Ford (+17.7%).
Those are the kind of numbers which might cause a little panic among economic development leaders in the region.

Read more: Scott County Record.