An active oil patch, a three-year housing shortage and a surge in home building have led Williston officials to believe recent Census Bureau numbers released for the community are low.

Data collected show Williston’s population only climbed from 12,182 in July 1, 2006 to 12,393 in July of 2007.

“We are suspecting closer to 14,500 people now,” said Williston City Commission President Ward Koeser. “We think we have more growth than that.”

Koeser said he doesn’t believe we have quite neared the 1970s and 1980s levels of 17,000. “When we had both the Cimarron Heights and Sand Creek Drive trailer parks open, there were 3,000 people in those trailer parks.

The parks were emptied in the 1990s after an oil bust, residents left and developers could not pay their special assessments. The city had owned both until it sold the Sand Creek Drive park, which is partially filling now with rentals. The Marcil Group and and Valley Group have secured a portion of the former Cimarron Heights Trailer park for more apartments for oil field workers. The city has put the remaining land up for proposal request from other developers.

The city’s population had been just over 12,000 in the mid 1990s. Many apartments at that time were at one-half to two-thirds occupancy.

“Now, that all of the apartments are full, it seems we would have substantially more growth than that,” Koeser said.

The census shows Alexander population rose to 213, an increase of two; Arnegard to 103, (an increase of one); Ray to 531 (an increase of seven); Grenora to 194 (an increase of two) and Tioga to 1,089 (an increase of seven).

The hot spot of the Bakken Play, Stanley, showed a population increase of only 14. Its population is now 1,215. Parshall saw an increase of 24 people in a year’s period, hiking its numbers to 1,048.

Several regional communities showed population numbers fell, according to the study. Powers Lake’s numbers fell from 257 to 250. Noonan’s population is now 140, dropping three. Lignite’s population decreased by four, making its population 144. Fortuna showed a drop of one for a population of 28. Crosby’s population decreased 16, according to the data, making its total 953. Wildrose’s population has steadied at 125 for several years and Springbrook’s has remained at 25, according to the census.

Teresa Lumley, delivery supervisor for the Williston Post Office, said the number of potential deliveries increased by 149 for her office. She said the numbers are steadily climbing. “We’re definitely adding delivery service and are seeing a growth in the number of post office rentals every month,” she commented.