Communities Added People

Census data released last year showed a greater share of Nebraska communities grew in population during the last decade compared to the previous one. Figure 2, created by the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), Center for Public Affairs Research, compares the share of communities which experienced population growth in different size categories between the two decades. For example, the share of communities with populations between 100-249 people which grew in population during the 2010s was 25.6 percent. Only 16 percent of communities of this size grew in population in the 2000s. All size categories, except two, experienced an increase in the share of communities with population growth. David Drozd with the UNO Center attributes the growth to economic development policies, the efforts to recruit employers, and retaining people in the state.

Figure 2. Share of Cities with Population Growth, 2000s and 2010s