Carson City expected to grow more quickly

Carson City’s population is projected to grow at a faster pace than had been expected just a year ago, reaching nearly 64,000 by 2032, the state’s demographer said Thursday.

“We do show greater growth in Carson City,” said Jeff Hardcastle of the Nevada State Demographer’s Office, based at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It looks like there’s going to be more robust growth.”

The data, which extends from a base population and year of 55,441 in 2012, shows Nevada’s capital will reach 63,506 by 2031 and 63,982 by 2032. The 2031 projection put out last year, which was based on and projected from a 2011 figure, projected that the city would grow to 60,106 people in 2031. That means the new estimated 2031 figure is 3,400 higher.

“That’s wonderful,” said Mayor Robert Crowell. “Anybody that puts out good stuff like that, it’s good news.”

Gil Yanuck, chairman at the Carson City Chamber of Commerce, agreed. Calling it positive news, he said many chamber members are optimistic compared with some naysayers who don’t see the community’s strengths. He acknowledged there are weaknesses that must be addressed by the public and private sectors, but counseled seeing the bright side.

“I just wish that some people would look at the glass not as half-empty, but half-full,” Yanuck said.

Hardcastle’s annual report in October, which covers the state and each county along with the consolidated community of Carson City, also included data on private-sector employment growth here through 2032.

Carson City health care and social services, the leading category for jobs in 2010, is projected to remain in that position and grow from 4,045 at the start of the current decade to 5,349 in 2032, up by almost one-third. Hardcastle also pointed out that professional, scientific and technical services jobs would grow as a category by 62 percent in that time frame, up from 1,820 to 2952.

Mining, according to the projections, will leap 150 percent, but from the low base of 103 in 2010 to 258 in 2032.

A nearly 71 percent jump is expected in administrative and waste-management services, from 1,520 in 2010 to 2,598 in 2032.

Categories expected to lose were forestry, fishing and related activities, utilities, and information. But all of them were small to begin with, and continue dwindling in the projections.

Among the group starting at more than 1,000 jobs in 2010 and expected to grow are real estate and rental leasing, up 19 percent, from 2,015 jobs to 2399; manufacturing, up 21 percent from 2,738 to 3,328; finance and insurance, up 29 percent from 3,059 to 3,936; entertainment and recreation, up 35 percent from 1,683 to 2,282; accommodation and food services, up 39 percent from 2,277 to 3,164; and construction, up 42 percent from 1,393 to 1,983.

Crowell and Yanuck focused their comments on the population-growth projection.

Yanuck, a retired businessman who is an AARP volunteer and tax adviser, said storefronts that were vacant are filling up, Northern Nevada Development Authority is bringing manufacturing and other businesses to the region, and for young people “education is available if you want to take advantage of it.”

He emphasized the optimism and he and his chamber colleagues feel.

“I just think it’s going to be a good time for Carson City,” Yanuck said.