YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County lost residents over the past decade, as did all but one of the four cities in the county, new census figures show.

Figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau show Mahoning County lost 10,209 residents between 2010 and 2020, and Trumbull County lost 8,335 residents — putting them among the 33 counties of Ohio’s 88 that lost population.

The loss in Mahoning County represents a 4.2 percent decline from 2010, when the population was 238,823. The latest census figures have Mahoning County at 228,614.

Youngstown lost the most — 6,914 residents, a loss of 10.3 percent from 66,982 the city had in 2010.

The populations in Campbell and Struthers also fell — 4.6 percent in Campbell to 7,852 and 6 percent in Struthers to 10,063.

Canfield City gained 184 residents, taking its new population to 7,699.

“The numbers in the Mahoning Valley are similar to trends in rural areas across Ohio and America. About two-thirds of counties in Ohio lost population over the last ten years; in fact, over half of the counties across the country saw their population decline. So, this isn’t a trend unique to our area, and there are multiple factors that play into it,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta.

But Johnson, whose district includes a large portion of Mahoning County, said the trend can be reversed.

“To do that, we cannot be a country that continues to favor major metropolitan areas over rural areas,” he said.

Investments in rural America that include a “real” infrastructure bill, an expansion of high-speed broadband and encouraging an economic growth strategy that includes government and educational partnerships “to create an environment where graduates can stay here and work and raise their families here” will lead to a prosperity in the rural U.S., Johnson said.

Across Ohio, Columbus gained almost 120,000 residents over the 10-year period and Franklin County gained about 160,000 residents. Nearby counties, Union and Delaware grew by more than 20 percent over the decade.

Also, Cincinnati added more than 12,000 residents.

But not all Ohio cities grew. Cleveland saw a loss of more than 24,000 residents, though its suburbs mostly held strong or grew. Toledo followed the same pattern, losing 16,000 residents even as two bordering counties saw strong growth. Youngstown, Akron, Canton and Dayton all lost population, as well.

Overall, Ohio’s population grew 2.3 percent since 2010, compared with the national growth of 7.4 percent. That lag had already cost the state a congressional district, taking the total from 16 to 15.

Trumbull County fell 3.9 percent from 2010 to 201,977 residents. Four of the five cities there lost population, too.

The biggest loser was Warren, which saw a decline of 2,356 residents from 41,557 in 2010, a negative difference of 5.6 percent.

Elsewhere the populations fell in Niles, Girard and Hubbard City — 4.2 percent in Niles to 18,433; 3.5 percent in Girard to 9,603; and 3 percent in Hubbard City to 7,636.

Cortland’s population rose by one single person to 7,105.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, who represents most of Trumbull County and a portion of Mahoning County, was not available to comment.

rselak@tribtoday.com