Between 1990 and 2000, Columbia County gained more than 23,000 residents, boosting its total population from 66,031 to 89,288. That's a 35 percent increase - more than double the rate of growth in any nearby county.

``The challenge is to try to keep up the services that people demand without increasing the tax rate,'' Columbia County Administrator Steve Szablewski said. ``You have to work harder and smarter and find cheaper ways to do things.''

Even at more than 89,000, the population is actually a little less than officials had thought: They had put the population in the low- to mid-90,000 range. In fact, a 1999 Census Department population estimate put Columbia County's population at 93,312.

But the important thing is that the county is planning for the population growth, not reacting to it, Mr. Szablewski said.

``Even if it was 100,000, we were planning for that growth,'' he said. ``I think if we said we'd have 70,000 people and we end up with 89,000, then we would be in big-time trouble.''

Richmond County grew 5 percent, by 10,056 people, from 1990 to 2000. For Augusta Mayor Bob Young, the newly released census results are bittersweet.

He said that while Augusta managed to retain its distinction as the second-largest city in the state, with a population of 199,775, there should be some concern about the low growth percentage.

``I think people have just acknowledged that there hasn't been any substantial growth here and that our population has been relatively flat for the past 10 years,'' he said. ``(The data) indicates that there has been some growth, but when you consider the population of the state of Georgia, which grew by 26 percent, and we only grew 5 percent ... that's cause for concern.''

The lack of growth in several of Georgia's urban counties outside of Atlanta was a statewide trend over the past 10 years. Muscogee County, home to Columbus, grew 3.9 percent; Bibb County (Macon), 2.5 percent; and Chatham County (Savannah) grew 6 percent.

``The growth in the urban centers in Georgia is slow and in the single digits, nothing to write home about,'' Mr. Young said.

Most outlying counties around Augusta experienced growth that ranged from 4 percent to 12 percent during the past decade. The exception was Jefferson County, which lost 142 residents, a population decrease of less than 1 percent.

Census figures show a 26 percent growth spurt in all of Georgia during the 1990s, a population increase of more than 1.7 million people, with metro Atlanta sprawl accounting for the bulk of growth. The census figures show that counties just outside Atlanta's perimeter, Interstate 285, nearly doubled in population.

Southwest Georgia, long struggling to keep up with the rest of the state economically, saw the biggest declines in population.

Comparison

County, 1990, 2000, change, percentage

Burke County, 20,579, 22,243, 1,664, 8 percent

Columbia County, 66,031, 89,288, 23,257, 35 percent

Emanuel County, 20,546, 21,837, 1,291, 6 percent

Jefferson County, 17,408, 17,266, -142, -.08 percent

Lincoln County, 7,442, 8,348, 906, 12 percent

McDuffie County, 20,119, 21,231, 1,112, 6 percent

Richmond County, 189,719, 199,775, 10,056, 5 percent

Screven County, 13,842, 15,347, 1,532, 11 percent

Taliaferro County, 1,915, 2,077, 162, 8 percent

Warren County, 6,078, 6,338, 258, 4 percent

State Total, 6,478,216, 8,186,451, 1,708,235, 26 percent

Towns in the Augusta area, 1990, 2000:

Thomson, 6,862, 6,828

Warrenton, 2,195, 2,013

Harlem, 2,199, 1,814

Grovetown, 3,596, 6,089

Wrens, 2,414, 2,314

Waynesboro, 5,669, 5,813

Hephzibah, 2,806, 3,880

Sandersville, 6,290, 6,144

Crawfordville, 577, 572

Staff Writer Heidi Coryell and the Associated Press contributed to this article.

Reach Jason B. Smith and Clarissa Walker at (706) 724-0851.