A University of Nebraska Omaha researcher says U.S. Census data released March 23 places Nebraska City on the state’s list of towns with the biggest population decreases since 2000.
A projected loss of 359 people in Nebraska City is ranked 10th in the state behind Alliance, Falls City, Ogallala, Fairbury, McCook, Holdrege, O’Neill, York and West Point.
Alliance has the most population loss with 957 people.
David Drozd, a census specialist with the university’s Center for Public Affairs Research, estimates that 44 percent of the state’s 530 villages and cities will show a population loss of 10 percent or more.
Looking at the most recent year to see if there is a reversal in the trend, Drozd lists Nebraska City with the sixth highest population loss from 2008 to 2009.
In contrast, Omaha’s one-year growth of 6,681 persons between 2008 and 2009 was the largest one-ear growth it has had so far this decade. The annexation of Elkhorn and growth at its current pace will push Omaha’s population over 450,000, Drozd said.
Bellevue surpassed 50,000 persons for the first time in 2009, and Drozd said recent annexations are expected to result in higher population estimates for the current year.
The state’s fastest growing cities are Gretna, Terrytown, Waterloo, Hickman, Papillion, LaVista, Bennet, Waverly, Raymond, Denton and Firth.
An increase of 31 people in Peru from 2008 to 2009 places the Nemaha County village on the list of fastest growing communities in the year.
