Brian K. Patterson remembered a conversation from about a year ago with a Jackson Township assessor, who told him he had about 35 new houses to assess.

Patterson, a township supervisor, didn't automatically equate that information to evidence of a population boom in the township, but mentioned it in saying he's not surprised that Jackson is the second-fastest growing municipality in Mercer County.

"There haven't been any housing developments going in," he said. "I guess it's just kind of scattered out. I would have to attribute most of it to" Lake Latonka.

According to 2002 population estimates released July 1 by the U.S. Census Bureau, several of the county's most rural municipalities are leading the way in population growth.

You can't really say people are flocking to these towns, as the number of people actually moving in is relatively small.

Liberty Township, in the county's southeast corner, is the fastest growing municipality in terms of percent of change. Between 2000 and 2002, it added 92 residents, bringing the total to 1,368, a 7.2-percent increase.

Jackson is second with a 6.6-percent hike, adding 83 residents to total 1,289, followed by Lake Township, which grew by 38 residents to 744, a clip of 5.4 percent; Sandy Lake Township, up 62 to 1,310, a 5-percent increase; and New Vernon Township, up 23 to 547, for a growth rate of 4.4 percent.

Liberty Supervisor Ronald C. Faull said he's not surprised at the township's growth rate. A new housing development, the Villas of Grove City, is partly in the township and an older development, Kimberly Estates, is being eyed for water and sewer service, which would make it more attractive.

Faull attributed Liberty's recent growth to the fact that it is so sparsely populated. Many of those moving in are from the Pittsburgh and Youngstown areas looking for "open space and the rural setting," he said.

"I think our taxes are lower than Pittsburgh's," Faull said. "With (Interstate) 279 opened up, it's only about an hour to downtown (Pittsburgh)."

Patterson said that low taxes and a good school system, Lakeview Area School District, probably have helped Jackson Township.

Dan Gracenin, assistant director of Mercer County Regional Planning Commission, said the fastest growing municipalities have either Interstate 79 or 80 going through them.

Interstate 79, in particular, makes the Grove City area a reasonable distance from fast-growing Cranberry Township in Butler County. Grove City also benefits from Grove City College and Prime Outlets in Springfield Township, Gracenin said.

The borough of Grove City and Springfield Township actually have lost people in those two years, and neighboring Pine Township saw only small growth.

Countywide, the increases in those municipalities have been more than offset by other rural municipalities and the Shenango Valley.

Mercer County's population fell by 779 people to 119,514, a decrease of just over half a percent. Seventeen of the county's municipalities gained people, but 31 lost.

"It's our elderly population," Gracenin said. "The middle-aged groups are strong and pretty stable. We're losing our kids. They're leaving for college and not being able to get jobs here."

Sharon, Sharpsville and Farrell all lost people at a rate of about 2.8 percent. Sharon's loss of 467 people -- leaving a total of 15,861 -- means it has unofficially lost the title of the most populous municipality in the county.

Hermitage gained 205 people over that time -- the most people of any Mercer County municipality. Its has a total of 16,362, although the city actually lost 58 from 2001 to 2002.

Gracenin said there is no significance now to the possibility that Hermitage has more people than Sharon. It could mean something if Hermitage remains the most populous municipality in 2010, when the next census is taken. The federal government uses census figures in some funding formulas.

Although Sharon has been the lead municipality because of its status as the most populous municipality, Mayor David O. Ryan said that might not change, even if Sharon falls to No. 2 in the next census.

"I'm not sure Sharon hasn't been the lead community for so long we can't be grandfathered in that," he said. "I've heard we are."

Ryan said he doesn't have much faith in the estimates, just as he doubted the accuracy of the 2000 census, which he said undercounted the city by 300 to 500 people.

According to the Census Bureau, the estimates were reached by comparing birth, death and immigration figures to the 2000 census.

Hermitage City Manager Gary P. Hinkson said he's pleased with the estimates in that they show the city is continuing to grow.

Like the rural municipalities that are gaining people, Hermitage has room to expand, he said.

But Hinkson finds declines in the populations of Mercer, Lawrence, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties "troubling."

"The only way Hermitage is going to have long-term stability and strength is if we all do," he said. "The region needs to continue its efforts at economic development. We need to stop the loss and add people."