Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Census figures released last week show Cheyenne County's growth rate reversed to net losses in the last decade.
For a number of years Cheyenne County had been one of the areas in the state that had regularly shown growth. But according to the latest figures, the area is now in decline, while Banner County is the lone Panhandle county to show slight growth.
According to the report, Cheyenne County is estimated to have had a population decline of 347 people in the latest year, the largest loss for any Nebraska County. Cheyenne is estimated to have lost 387 people in the prior year (2016-17) and 92 in the year before that. Since 2010, Cheyenne is estimated to have lost nearly 700 people (-688) or 6.9% of its population. Cheyenne County's estimated population in 2018 of 9,310 is the smallest since its 1920 Census count of 8,405 (so basically its lowest population in 100 years).
The report, was synopsized by David Drozd, Research Coordinator of the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) at the Nebraska State Data Center. It the report, Drozd said the Panhandle has four of the state's 10 counties that are having larger rates of population loss so far this decade. All counties in the panhandle except Banner have had net outmigration so far this decade. Scottsbluff County has lost nearly 1,000 people since 2010, second largest loss in the state to Lincoln County. In the latest year, Scottsbluff County lost 224 people, third largest in the state to Cheyenne and Adams.
According to the report, in the latest year from July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018, 36 Nebraska counties or 39% are estimated to have increased in population, versus 55% nationwide. Figures for our best comparison states are 44% of Iowa counties gaining and only 26% of Kansas counties having gained in the last year.
About 55.4% of Nebraska residents live in the most-populated three counties of Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy, a new all-time high on that percentage. In the latest year, those counties increased in population by 12,383 while the other 90 counties lost 690 people. Since 2010, the big 3 have gained 107,255 while the rest of the state has declined by 4,292.
The report states net outmigration continues to be prominent, as 75 Nebraska counties have had more people move out than in since 2010. Thus, 76% of NE counties have experienced net outmigration so far this decade. Offsetting the outmigration is Nebraska's relatively high level of births. Since 2010, 53 NE counties are estimated to have had more births than deaths (57%).
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