Marengo County’s continues to lose residents, according to data released by the United States Census Bureau on Thursday. The county saw a slight decrease in population from 22,539 to 21,027 since the last census was conducted in 2000; a 6.7 percent decrease in population.

The bright spot in the downward spiral of population is that the county managed to hang on to nearly 100 more residents than the 2009 census estimates.

The 2010 numbers reflects a 20 year trend as the county has shed 2,057 residents since the 1990 census.

The total population for Demopolis was listed as 7,483 for 2010, a slight decrease from the 7,540 heads counted in 2000. Linden also experienced residential loss, dropping 99 people since 2000, with a 2010 population of 2,123.

The most notable shift from 2010 to 2000 came in the race category. Marengo County lost 906 white residents but only 783 Black or African American. Black or African American residents currently outnumber whites 10,872 to 9,751.

Marengo County was one of 30 counties in the state to experience population loss. Alabama’s Black Belt was hit particularly hard.

Lowndes County lost 16.1 percent of its population, falling to 11,299 and Wilcox County’s fell 11.5 percent, two of five rural counties across the state that saw a double-digit decline in population. Urban areas gained significant numbers of people. Shelby County’s population rose 36 percent.

Data for Alabama show that the five most populous incorporated places and their 2010 Census counts are Birmingham, 212,237; Montgomery, 205,764; Mobile, 195,111; Huntsville, 180,105; and Tuscaloosa, 90,468. Birmingham decreased by 12.6 percent since the 2000 Census. Montgomery grew by 2.1 percent, Mobile decreased by 1.9 percent, Huntsville grew by 13.8 percent, and Tuscaloosa grew by 16.1 percent.

The largest county is Jefferson, with a population of 658,466.

Its population decreased by 0.5 percent since 2000.

The other counties in the top five include Mobile, with a population of 412,992 (increase of 3.3 percent); Madison, 334,811 (increase of 21.0 percent); Montgomery, 229,363 (increase of 2.6 percent); and Shelby, 195,085.