In the past three months, the city of just over 9,000 has lost over 400 jobs to plant closures.

According to the latest census report, Elwood has also lost 672 residents in the past seven years, a loss of 6.92 percent — the biggest percentage decrease in the county.

Mayor Merrill Taylor said job loss in Anderson also affected his residents. “There was a lot of people from Elwood that worked at Delco and Guide. A lot of people are going elsewhere to look for jobs.”

The mayor said the problem is being echoed throughout the town, particularly in the new subdivisions built for newcomers who never showed.

Both Cattails subdivision and Willow Walk, Willow Run, were developed over a year ago to attract Indianapolis residents moving north.

Noblesville, Taylor said, seemed to be attracting these people, so why not Elwood, they thought.

A year later, only one home stands in the Cattails subdivision with the possibility of another sale.

“We’re very concerned about it,” Taylor said about the city’s shrinking population.

Around the state

Fishers emerged as the fastest growing community in Indiana, increasing its population by 73 percent with a gain of 27,000 residents since 2000, doubling Indianapolis’ gain of 13,214.

Anderson’s 4 percent loss was trumped by a 4.2 percent loss in Evansville, a 5.9 percent decline in Gary, and a 6.8 percent drop in Hammond, the most significant drop of Indiana’s 20 largest cities. Muncie lost 3.9 percent of its population.