Nevada still tops nation in growth

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

New census numbers released this morning show Nevada remains the fastest-growing state in the nation for the 17th consecutive year -- but that's not news to anyone who lives here, an analyst says.

What is news, said Jeremy Aguero, principal analyst at a Las Vegas company called Applied Analysis, is what that growth means.

"How much can we plan for this growth, with infrastructure like education and roads ... and how much federal dollars per capita could we be missing if we are underestimating?" said Aguero, whose job includes preparing studies of the state for companies that want to move or do business here.

The bureau's estimates say the state's population grew by 73,699 people, or 3.4 percent, between July 1, 2002, and July 1, 2003. The total Nevada population is now estimated at 2,241,154 people.

The estimates are based on births, deaths, net migration from within the United States and net migration from other countries.

Daniele Dreitzer, executive director of Henderson Allied Community Advocates, a nonprofit that helps those in need at the southeast end of the Las Vegas Valley, said that growth has meant about 50 percent more people have come to her agency seeking something to eat in the past year.

Similarly, her agency has seen a 40 percent increase in households seeking rental and utility assistance in the past three years, she said.

"With growth in the overall population comes a growth in the population in need," Dreitzer said.

"Quite a few people come here having heard jobs are plentiful -- the perception is that no matter what trade you're in or what your skills are, you'll find a job. And that's not always the case," she said.

Despite the state's high growth rate, it remains 35th in the nation actual population and is 10th in the nation for growth in actual numbers, the census bureau said. California is No. 1 in both, having added more than 482,000 people to its nearly 35.5 million population in the last year.

The nation's population grew by 1 percent, or 2.8 million people to reach a total of 290.8 million.

Arizona had the second highest growth rate nationwide, followed by Florida, Texas and Idaho.

Aguero said the state's growth creates what he called "a dichotomy."

"On the one hand, we're in a great position to plan our own destiny ... since nobody has grown like us," he said. "On the other hand, we don't always know how to plan for the growth."

The analyst said he is getting more inquiries in recent years from companies outside the traditional economic bases in Southern Nevada, including high-tech manufacturers and distributors and health-care services.

"We tell them the good, the bad and the ugly -- including information on the labor force, taxes and quality of life indicators," he said.

Aguero -- whose family has been in the valley since 1905 -- is also going to contribute to Nevada's growth in February, when his son is born.

He was speaking to his wife earlier this week about the Las Vegas his son will face growing up, he said.

"I'm concerned about how the growth will affect the city he grows up in," Aguero said. "I wonder -- will he have parks to go to, will he be able to get to work in under four hours?"

Sun reporter

Christina Littlefield contributed to this story.