No surprise: Bluffton and Hardeeville populations growing. But by how much?

As expected, the number of people living in Bluffton and Hardeeville grew from July 2006 to July 2007, according to population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

But, local officials say those estimates seem unexpectedly low.

According to the bureau, Bluffton's population is estimated at 4,054. A 2005 special census put the population at 4,885.

Bill Workman, Bluffton town manager, said the numbers are much higher than either of those census estimates, probably between 12,000 and 15,000.

The estimates won't affect the town financially because it gets state and federal per capita money based on the 2005 special census. Meanwhile, the town is gathering all addresses that have been added in recent years to ensure an accurate count in the official 2010 census, Workman said.

The estimate of 1,930 people in Hardeeville also seems off, said Brana Snowden, planning director for the city. "It does seem low to me based on what we've seen happen." She didn't have an estimate for the city's current population.

Like Bluffton, Hardeeville is working to update its addresses to ensure a more accurate count in the 2010 census, Snowden said.