Nevada growth spurt expected to continue at least 18 years
It’s official. Nevada is going through a growth spurt and Clark County is leading the way.
And the trend is probably going to continue at least for the next 18 years based on projections by Nevada Demographer Jeff Hardcastle.
“Just as other economic indicators are showing, we are coming out of the recession,” he said in a news release Wednesday. “Natural population increase is continuing to play a role in our growth at this time and we may be seeing some increase in immigration.”
By the numbers, Hardcastle estimates Nevada’s population increased by 42,334 people from July 2013 to July 2014, an estimated increase of 1.5 percent, or about equivalent to the increase of 1.8 percent the prior year.
He said Clark County gained 37,728 people, an increase of 1.9 percent.
“There was solid job growth in Southern Nevada; it looks like more people were able to go back to work,” he said. “There and in other parts of the state we are seeing mixed signals with school enrollment data, labor force and population changing at different rates.”
He cited U.S. Census Bureau figures that show the net international migration for Clark County was 6,500 last year.
Nevada’s population as of July stood at 2,843,301 with most people living in Clark County — 2,069,450.
Using a regional economic model, Hardcastle projects the state’s population will increase by 485,770 by 2033 to roughly 3,329,000. By the same token, Clark County can expect to have 290,650 more people in the 19 years following last year’s estimated tally. That means, planners can expect the county’s population in 2033 to be 2,360,100.
Elsewhere in Nevada, current statistics show Carson City, Churchill and Lyon Counties lost population. Washoe County grew by 1 percent. Rural counties in northeast and central Nevada also are a mixed story with Elko being flat for the year and growth happening in Esmeralda, Lander, and Pershing counties.
Contact Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308. Find him on Twitter: @KeithRogers2.
