The 2010 Census population numbers are out, and for most folks it makes for a little interesting conversation and that’s about it. However, for Bartow and Floyd counties, the Census figures paint an intriguing tale that leaves open the door to some major changes for area residents as we go forward.

First let’s take a look at some historical data. In 1870, the population of Bartow County was 16,566, while Floyd County was just barely ahead with 17,230 persons. However, as we move forward, Floyd raced out to big lead. Just 10 years later in 1880, Bartow was at 18,690 while Floyd had jumped to 24,418, and Floyd continued to increase its sizeable population lead over the following decades.

In 1940 Bartow had climbed to 25,282, but Floyd was now over double that size at an astounding 56,141. By 1960 Floyd had increased to 69,130 people, and Bartow was trailing badly at 28,267. So why was Floyd growing so much faster than Bartow?

One word: Industry. Floyd’s civic and political leaders actively recruited large firms to build plants there. From paper and boxboard plants to high-quality employers like General Electric, Floyd’s brain trust worked to bring in facilities paying wages that were higher than those paid by the textile plants that dominated so much of northwest Georgia, including Bartow County. Of course, quality retail, media, educational and medical facilities followed and soon Floyd County became the economic hub of this region.

Here in Bartow County, it was no secret that powerful textile mill owners didn’t want to be forced to increase wages in order to keep their employees, so they worked with political leaders to keep out firms unless they agreed to bring their wage scales down close to that of the textile plants. When Union Carbide came to Cartersville in the late 1950s, there was quite a bit of hand wringing in the local textile industry, and  Carbide management allegedly agreed to keep wages lower in the beginning years than they normally would have paid.

The tipping point occurred just a few years later when Cobb County used its clout and outflanked Floyd County leaders who were attempting to have Interstate 75 routed through Floyd County instead of Bartow. As investors and business owners anticipated the final link of the interstate opening in Bartow in the mid 1970s, things began to happen. Various industrial plants began to locate here and that was capped off in the late 1980s as it was announced that Anhueser Busch would be building a major brewery here.

If you followed politics during that time, you know the primary reason we landed Busch was because Georgia’s governor at the time was none other than Bartow’s own Joe Frank Harris. This was a bitter pill to swallow for the Floyd County bunch, as their leaders had always played hardball during redistricting, working to insure their county dominated the area’s legislative seats. Having this political clout had always been a huge asset for Floyd economically. Losing I-75 was a tough blow for them, and then watching as Bartow reaped the rewards of having one of their own in the governor’s mansion was a bit much.

 As the metro Atlanta area exploded during the 1980s and 90s, the spillover began to hit Bartow County. New shopping centers and housing developments popped up everywhere. During this time, Floyd County’s population lead began to shrink, as Bartow became one of the faster growing Georgia counties.

Now here we are with the official 2010 Census numbers just being released and guess what? Floyd and Bartow are in a statistical tie. Bartow County now has 96,217 people while the population of Floyd County came in at 96,250, a difference of only 33 persons. 

Floyd County still has more “hard assets” than Bartow, such as colleges, hospitals and media outlets. However, we are now seeing some subtle shifts that promise big things for Bartow in the near future. Next week we’ll take a look at what may be coming our way, from political redistricting to new businesses.

Follow me on Twitter @chuckshiflett and also check out my statewide columns at The Backroom Report.