Saturday, March 24, 2001
Nearby Mesopotamia also experienced a significant population increase.
BY REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WEST FARMINGTON -- An increase in the Amish population and a surge of people moving in from Warren and Geauga County are responsible for a 35.4-percent population increase in Farmington Township, according to Trustee John Spelich.
Spelich said he was not surprised by the 2000 census results that revealed a population jump from 1,355 people in 1990 to 1,834 people in 2000.
"There are a lot of new homes being built out here, probably an average of about 10 per year. Some of the homes are for Amish families moving in from the Middlefield area, which has become quite crowded, and other homes are for people who want to live in the country and commute to work in Warren and Cleveland," he said.
Trustee's view: Although Farmington's Amish population continues to increase, Spelich said he thinks the majority of people moving into the rural Trumbull County community are not Amish.
"We have a strong Amish population here with our third Amish school being built right now on Clark Road, but I'd say there are probably more non-Amish coming in. We are strategically located in a nice area far from the hustle and bustle that is within driving distance of Cleveland and Warren," he said.
Spelich said affordable real estate also makes living in Farmington Township appealing.
"People who live in Geauga County move here because we are fairly close to Cleveland, but our property is more reasonable and our taxes are lower. We've got a lot of acreage for sale in the northern and western parts of the township, land that has opened up in recent years, and when property goes on the market here, it sells fast," he explained.
Farmington is bordered by Geauga County to the west and Mesopotamia Township to the north.
Also increased: Mesopotamia also experienced a population increase according to the 2000 census. Its population rose from 2,539 in 1990 to 3,051 in 2000.
Patricia Thomas, Mesopotamia Township's clerk, attributed the 20.5-percent increase to a boost in the township's already prominent Amish population.
"Our Amish community has continued to grow. The trustees were surprised that the census didn't show an even greater increase than 20.5 percent. They were expecting it to be more," she said.