The population numbers for our region of West Virginia contained in the recent U.S. Census Bureau county population estimates release are, frankly, not surprising. The Northern Panhandle has been losing population for years.

The estimates, based on county populations as of July 1, 2025, confirm the decades-long trend of people leaving our area.

Consider this: there are 7,300 fewer people in the Northern Panhandle than on July 1, 2020. A six-county region that in 1970 had 201,940 residents today has 140,138. That loss — 61,802 people — is roughly equivalent to the current combined population of Ohio and Brooke counties.

That is not a blip — it is a terrifying trend. And it is part of a much larger, longer story.

For more than a half-century, the Northern Panhandle has been losing people. Young people leave for opportunity elsewhere. Families follow jobs as coal mines, steel mills and more shuttered. Employers look for stronger labor pools.

We have opined on this many times before. We have sounded the alarm on what continued population loss will mean for this region’s future. The cost to run county school systems is not decreasing because there are fewer students. The cost to operate municipal governments doesn’t drop with fewer residents. Public safety forces do not decrease because the population drops.

Instead, those left simply shoulder a larger share of the overall burden.

This is not only about numbers, even though fewer people impacts local schools, the local tax base and so much more. Population loss is the clearest indicator of a region’s health. When people choose to leave — or choose not to come at all — it tells us something fundamental is not working. The longer we ignore that reality, the harder it becomes to reverse.

To be fair, none of this is unique to the Northern Panhandle. Much of West Virginia — and much of Appalachia — faces the same challenge. But that does not excuse inaction. If anything, it demands urgency.

Because while others are facing similar struggles, many communities are finding ways to thrive. They are diversifying their economies. They are investing in quality of life. They are setting forth a vision of their future, with everyone working toward that plan.

Here, too often, we are not.

For years, local leaders have talked about economic development and revitalization. There have been plans. There have been studies. There have been announcements.

But results matter. And these numbers show we are not moving the needle.

Consider Ohio County, which several years ago made the decision to hire a population retention expert — a move that some touted as forward-thinking and necessary. At the time, it was billed as a step toward understanding why people leave and how to keep them here.

Today, the county has nearly 2,000 fewer residents than it did in 2020.

It is fair to ask: What, exactly, did that effort accomplish?

If the goal was to stem the tide, it clearly has not worked. And if there were lessons learned, they have not translated into meaningful change.

It is easy to simply single out one initiative. The reality is broader than that. This is a regional issue that demands a regional response — one that goes beyond talk and into action.

We need new thinking. We need new ideas.

That means looking beyond the industries of the past and embracing those of the future. It means creating an environment where entrepreneurs can succeed and where young professionals want to live. It means investing in housing, in infrastructure, in amenities that make communities vibrant and competitive.

It also means being honest with ourselves.

We cannot continue to do the same things and expect different results. We cannot rely solely on nostalgia for what this region once was. And we cannot assume that opportunity will simply find us.

We must create it.

The Northern Panhandle has strengths. Its location. Its people. Its history. Its potential.

But potential alone is not enough.

At some point, plans must turn into progress. Ideas must turn into investment. Words must turn into results.

The latest population estimates are another warning sign. Another reminder that time is not on our side.

The question is not whether we can reverse this trend.

The question is whether we will.