Nevada's population growth slows, but still above 4 percent

Nevada's population growth slowed a bit in fiscal 2006 but still reached 4.1 percent statewide.

That means the state finished the year with 104,181 more residents than the year before - a total of 2.6 million - according to estimates prepared by the State Demographer's Office. That compares with 4.5 percent growth the previous year.

"Nevada's growth continues to be unevenly distributed with most of the growth occurring in Southern Nevada," said Demographer Jeff Hardcastle.

He said, however, rural Nevada is continuing to turn things around compared with the downturn in rural populations earlier this decade.

In fact, the fastest growing county in the state is predominantly rural Lyon County, which added 10.6 percent to its population for a total of 54,031 residents as of July 1. Lyon was followed by Nye County, which has been experiencing population spill-over from Clark County for more than a decade. Nye now has 44,795 residents - 8.5 percent more than a year ago.

Clark County has an estimated population of nearly 1.9 million.

And Washoe County's estimated population passed the 400,000 mark in fiscal 2006.

Carson City had one of the slowest growth rates of any area in the state, increasing just 1 percent to 57,701 in 2006.

Hardcastle said three Nevada counties actually saw their populations decline in fiscal 2006. Esmeralda County lost 14 residents, a 1.1 percent drop. Eureka County lost 25 residents, falling 1.7 percent.

Mineral County lost 230 residents, a 5 percent decrease.

The estimates are prepared annually each July and used for purposes including the distribution of tax revenues between Nevada's cities and towns.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.

2006 state population growth

County July '06 Pop. Percent Change

Carson City 57,70 11%

Churchill County 27,371 3%

Douglas County 51,770 3.3%

Lyon County 54,031 10.6%

Storey County 4,110 2.4%

Mineral 4,399 -5%

Clark County 1,874,837 4.4%

Washoe 409,085 3.1%

Statewide 2,623,050 4.1%