Of course not. The western Johnston County town has been growing since Interstate 40 opened from Raleigh to Wilmington. Smithfield, meanwhile, has been stuck, literally, in the middle of the county, where growth has been much slower.

And, not unexpectedly, Clayton has gained some prestige and power at Smithfield's expense. Once upon a time, to win elected office in Johnston County, a candidate, almost always a Democrat, had to carry the Smithfield and Selma voting precincts. Today, in a testament to growth in western Johnston, a candidate has to carry the Clayton and Cleveland precincts, and the winner is almost always a Republican.

But Smithfield residents can take some comfort in knowing that growth is on its way. The U.S. 70 bypass of Clayton will bring that growth, first to Wilson's Mills, we suspect, but then to Smithfield and Selma. The question is whether developers will choose to build their subdivisions in Smithfield or on its outskirts. Town leaders, we think, will play a role in that decision.

To be sure, Clayton has grown since I-40 came its way, but that growth has not always been within the town's borders at the time. Which is to say that Clayton leaders have offered cheaper water and sewer rates in exchange for voluntary annexation. A lot of developers have said yes to that offer, and Clayton has grown accordingly. Town leaders are just now looking to fill empty land in Clayton proper with homes and businesses.

Granted, one important thing has changed since Clayton began to grow: Rural water districts have sprung up, giving developers access to public water, something that only towns could offer before. But Smithfield, with its own water plant, can sell water more cheaply than the rural water districts that surround it. In addition, it can offer police protection and curbside garbage pickup.

And here is something that Smithfield can offer that Clayton cannot: Closer proximity to an interstate and the commercial growth that an interstate spawns. Specifically, Smithfield, though smaller than Clayton, has shops and restaurants that Clayton would no doubt welcome, both for their tax base and for the variety they offer residents.

Yes, Clayton is bigger than Smithfield. But we would not be surprised if the town one day regained its long-held place in the county's population.