While Houston County is growing, the U.S. census shows that Bibb County is shrinking.
But despite people leaving Bibb County, Peter Dennis says he is staying.
“I was born here in 1939,” says Dennis.
Ever since then, Dennis says Macon has been home.
“This house was built just before the second World War. It was designed by my father,” says Dennis.
But through the years, Dennis says he has seen a lot of changes.
“We have become an entertainment center for the whole six-county area. People are beginning to move downtown again,” says Dennis.
Most of the changes are good, but some not so great, like people leaving the county.
“They worried about taxes. Bibb County is an older community, so it has older problems,” says Dennis.
While Bibb’s population decreases and Houston County's continues to grow, Dennis' neighbor, Wilfred Platt, says he is not quite sure why that is the case.
“But I have an idea that the base in Warner Robins draws a lot of people and just things are happening and people tend to gravitate to that,” says Platt.
The U.S. Census says Bibb is losing about 400 people a year, but according to Bibb County, the number of residential building permits have gone up.
In 2016, the county issued 80 permits, and in 2017, that number went up to 95.
It is a trend Dennis says he thinks will continue.
“Atlanta is moving down the road, so we'll see the growth in population,” says Dennis.
Even if it does not, Dennis says he just wants the Central Georgia community to grow as a whole.
“I’ll root for Houston County. I root for Monroe County, for Jones County,” says Dennis.
We also looked at the multi-listing service for the county, and found that in February of this year, there was only one more house sold that in February of last year.