Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

A Regional Overview All-Hazard Mitigation Plan
Development Development Trends Trends and and and Annexation
The population of Jefferson County tripled from 1950 to 1970, with 16.9 percent of the
residents living in incorporated areas. In 1990, the population had increased to 171,380
with 27 percent of the residents living in incorporated areas. The next 25 years are
projected to see a continuation of the growth trend in Jefferson County. The county will
likely see an increase of population of 11 percent or 22,000 people over the next 10 years
and an increase of almost 28 percent over the next 25 years. Jefferson County will likely
experience less growth than St. Charles County, but more than St. Louis County. With the
steady increase in population, the county is faced with ever-increasing environmental
demands. The Jefferson County Soil, Water Conservation District, Jefferson Co Department
of County Services, and Code Enforcement are assisting with identifying and addressing
problems related to the environment.
The economy in Jefferson County has improved, as indicated by a growing labor force,
increased employment opportunities and lower unemployment rates. Growth in residential
and commercial building permits has also helped the county prosper. While the rest of the
state has been in a recession, Jefferson County has had good residential growth.
Residential building permits for 2001 were up over 15 percent. This growth is expected to
continue. Jefferson County plans to continue responsible growth patterns, while keeping a
unique identity for Jefferson County. In addition, the need for a variety of housing options
and concerns exist about increased amount of mobile homes in the county.
Moreover, growth in commercial building permits has helped to balance the economics of
the county. Since 1998, commercial building permits have continued to rise, increasing
108 percent from 1998 to 2001. In 1998, the construction cost of the commercial permits
was 4.6 million dollars, and a major benefit was the size of those commercial operations.
In 2001 the construction costs were 24.1 million dollars, an increase of almost 425
percent.
The local labor market is helping fuel increases in residential permits, and especially
commercial building permits. Jefferson County will continue to strive to provide more
employment opportunities within the county, for almost 67 percent of the workforce has
jobs outside the County. Polls on economic development indicated that efforts should be
made to attract commercial/retail development and to expand the tax base and promote
economic growth. The poll also indicates that growth needs to be planned and financially
responsible for county and that some residents do not want Tax Increment Financing to
assist developers.
An issue of concern in the county is the lack of communication among different
jurisdictions, infrastructure districts (sewer and water) and community service providers
(police, fire and ambulance), as well as a low level of communication/coordination among
the county and the other entities listed above regarding development of the county.
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