By Brenna R. Kelly
Enquirer staff writer

Unincorporated Boone County is the fourth fastest-growing area in the state, according to new population estimates.

In the last year, 3,029 people moved to the unincorporated area - a 4.7 percent increase, according to estimates released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Only Cold Spring, unincorporated Scott County and unincorporated Spencer County grew faster.

"That's where most of our growth is, the unincorporated areas," said County Administrator Jim Parsons.

The estimate showed that 66,726 people now live in Boone County outside a city. That means unincorporated Boone is essentially the state's third-largest city behind Louisville and Lexington, which both have merged city/county governments.

"We do operate more like a municipal government than a county government," said county Judge-executive Gary Moore. "It's our responsibility for ice and snow removal, fixing potholes, road repaving, police protection and the list goes on and on."

The highest growth areas of the county are Hebron, Burlington and Union.

In Boone, 68 percent of residents are in the unincorporated area, in Campbell that population is just 17 percent, and in Kenton it's only 7 percent.

"You know Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, Northern Kentucky is the land of 10,000 cities," said Ron Crouch, director of the Kentucky State Data Center.

Boone County's total population is on pace to pass 100,000 residents this week. The population estimates for 2003 put the total population at 97,148. Boone is also the second-fasted growing county in the state and the 80th fastest in the nation.

In addition to the unincorporated areas, Boone's three cities also grew last year. Union was the 11th-fastest growing in the state, adding 2.4 percent. Walton grew by 1.7 percent and Florence grew 1.5 percent. Florence is the second largest city in Northern Kentucky at 24,689 residents.

Union Mayor Don Kirby said he is not surprised that Union, which tripled in population from 1990 to 2000, continued to grow.

"All you have to do is drive around town, it's not surprising," Kirby said.

The town has some of Boone County's top schools, including Ryle High School, Gray Middle School, and Erpenbeck Elementary, low crime and is family-friendly, he said.

"We are a part of southern Boone County, where all of the growth is occurring. A lot of Hamilton County and Cincinnati's loss is our gain," he said. "It's just a good place to live."

The latest population estimates show Cincinnati has lost 14,000 residents since 2000. A recent Kentucky Data Center report showed that more people move to Kentucky from Ohio than from any other state.

---

E-mail bkelly@enquirer.com