The population in Gloucester increased by around 6 percent between 2000 and 2010, while Mathews County’s population dropped by around 2.5 percent during the same period, according to U.S. Census population data released last week.

The data shows that Gloucester gained 2,078 residents over the decade, increasing the population from 34,780 in 2000 to 36,858 in 2010.

Mathews County, on the other hand, lost 229 residents, dropping from 9,207 in 2000 to 8,978 in 2010.

Interestingly, while Gloucester gained residents among the white (+2,001), Asian (46), "other" (68) and "two or more races" (361) categories, it lost residents who identified themselves as black (-388), Native American (-7) and Pacific Islander (-3). The number of residents of any race who identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino increased by 375 in Gloucester.

In Mathews, there were losses in the white (-140), black (-213), and Native Americans (-2) populations, with gains in residents w...