I'm wondering what type of traffic Wild Adventures pulls. My last visit to this park, about 2 years ago during the summer, it seemed like me and my friends were the only people in the park that day.

In 1990 the population of Lowndes County, GA as recorded by the US Census Bureau was 75,981. The Valdosta MSA which consists of Lowndes, Brooks, Echols, and Lanier counties was recorded at 99,244.

Because Tallahassee doesn't have a theme park, I'll use our population as a control to gauge the impact Wild Adventures has had on Valdosta's growth. The same figures for Leon County. In 1990 there was a population of 192,493. The four counties that make up the Tallahassee metro at this time combined for a population of 259,096.

Wild Adventures Theme Park was built in 1998.

In the year 2000 Lowndes reported a population of 92,115. At the time the Valdosta metro stood at 119,560. Representing an impressive 21.23% increase in population over that 10 year span on an average annualized growth rate of 2.123% for the county, and a slightly lower 20.47% growth rate for the Valdosta Metro overall.

At this time, the Leon County had grown to a population of 239,452, and the Tallahassee Metro stood at 320,304. These numbers represented a more impressive 24.4% 10-year growth rate for Leon county (2.44% average annual rate), and a 23.6% population increase for the Tallahassee MSA overall.

Currently, the population of Lowndes Co., GA stands at 104,583 (2008 US Census), the Valdosta Metro sits at 133,348. This indicates that growth in Lowndes has slowed rather significantly to a more modest 13.5% increase over that 8-year span or 1.69% annually. The Valdosta Metro overall has seen its growth rate fall to 11.5% or an average of 1.44%.

Looking at Leon County and the Tallahassee Metro, our figures show a 2008 population of 264,063, 10.3% increase over 8-years or an annual average growth rate of 1.28%. The Tallahassee Metro currently holds at 357,259, an 8-year increase of 11.54% or 1.44% on average.

In conclusion it appears there has been no significant bump in growth observed in the Valdosta area after the construction of Wild Adventures. The rate of growth in the Tallahassee Metro outpaced Valdosta's in the 90s, and paralleled it thus far this decade. Maybe a theme park doesn't equal growth, but it sure is nice to say you've got one.

^I just wish it was Wild Adventures Tally instead.