MEDINA – Unlike many other places in northeast Ohio, Medina County’s population is still growing.

A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates the population of Medina County grew from 176,334 in July 2015 to 177,221 in July 2016, and increase of 887 people.

The same year, the populations dropped by 5,673 in Cuyahoga County, 1,253 in Stark County, 1,016 in Summit County, 1,806 in Trumbull County and 1,759 in Mahoning County. The 14 county northeast Ohio region lost a combined 46,842 residents despite population gains in Medina, Lorain (1,152), Wayne (362) and Ashland (272) counties.

Since 2010, Medina County’s population has grown by 4,889 people or 2.8 percent. That growth rate is 11th highest among Ohio’s 88 counties and the 4,889 increase is ninth in population increase.

The biggest growth in Ohio took place in Franklin County, which has grown by 8.7 percent since 2010 and added 101,104.

The growth between 2015 and 2016 enabled Franklin County to surpass Cuyahoga County as Ohio’s most populous. As of July 1, 2016, Franklin County had 1,264,518 residents compared with 1,249,352 in Cuyahoga County.

Ohio has seen a big change in population trends over the last half-century.

In 1970, when population for Cuyahoga County peaked at just over 1.7 million people, the county had more than twice as many people as Franklin County (833,249). In fact, in 1970, Franklin County (with Columbus), ranked third in the state behind both Cuyahoga County and Hamilton County (Cincinnati).

While some people have moved from one county to another within the region, the population for the Greater Cleveland and Akron area has seen almost no change in more than a half-century.

The eight-county population for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties was 2,825,417 in 1960. The latest estimates show the number is now 2,856,064.

Many in the area moved to Medina County from neighboring counties. The Medina County population was 65,315 in 1960. By 1970 it was 82,717, 113,150 by 1980, 122,354 by 2000 and 172,332 by 2010.

The slow growth of the northeast Ohio region is mirrored by the rest of the state. Ohio’s 0.7 percent population growth rate since 2010 ranks it 42nd among the 50 states. Only Pennsylvania, Michigan, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, Vermont, Illinois and West Virginia have had slower growth rates.

New Census estimates mark Harris County, Texas — which includes Houston – as having had the greatest growth in the U.S. Harris County has added 497,469 residents since the 2010 census, reaching a population of 4.6 million, more than three times the size of Cuyahoga County.

All the top five fastest growing counties are in the West or Southwest. After Harris County is Maricopa County, Ariz., (Phoenix), Los Angeles County, Calif.; San Diego County, Calif., and King County, Wash. (Seattle), all adding at least 200,000 residents since 2010.

Almost as many people live in Los Angeles County, Calif. (10,137,915) as live in the state of Ohio (11,614,373).

After Los Angeles, the largest counties in the United States are Cook County, Ill., (with Chicago), Harris County, Texas, Maricopa County, Ariz. (Phoenix) and San Diego County.