JOPLIN, Mo. — 165,986: that’s the number of residents the State of Missouri added since the 2010 Census. And that means some things will change and some will stay the same as they re-map the political landscape.

“How do you bring businesses here to grow those census numbers, and how do you keep our kids there?” said MO Gov. Mike Parson, R.

Just a couple of the priorities Missouri Governor Mike Parson says he focused on when he first took office three years ago.

“We’re fourth the United States for new business on manufacturing jobs, we’re second in the United States for apprenticeship programs, you know. And the one that I really liked a lot is we’re seventh the United States precisely because people are wanting to come to the United States, come to our state of Missouri, and build businesses here, because all the things we’re doing to set that up,” said Governor Parson.

The 2020 Census shows growth of nearly three percent statewide. Areas like St. Louis lost residents while parts of southwest Missouri grew.

“We’ve seen some growth here, both in Jasper and Newton counties and kind of generally in the southwest Missouri area. So, so that’s good news for us from the legislative perspective,” said MO Rep. Cody Smith, R.

Boundaries for legislative districts will be redrawn in 2022, and the shift in population could mean a shift in legislative priority.

“We haven’t lost population where we’ve seen that in some other areas of the state, which means that their legislative districts would need to grow in order to encompass the same amount of constituents,” said Rep. Smith.

Governor Mike Parson sees it as an exciting time for change in the state.

“Really to be able to grow Missouri is a unique opportunity. We’re taking full advantage of it here right now. So It’s great to be in Missouri,” said Governor Parson.