The 2020 Census was not kind to Blaine County, which lost a larger share of its population from 2010 than any other county in the state.
The county’s population was tabbed at 8,735 in 2020, and Watonga’s was 2,690. One of the biggest reasons for the large decline was likely the closure of the Diamondback Correctional Facility, whose inmates were considered Watonga residents during the 2010 census.
The prison has now been closed for a decade.
The Census also showed Geary’s population declined to 994 people, dropping by nearly 300 since 2010.