Nevada fastest-growing state with 3.4 percent increase

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003 | 10:31 a.m.

Nevada is still the fastest- growing state in the nation, state demographer Jeff Hardcastle said Monday.

Overall, Nevada grew by an estimated 73,524 individuals, or 3.4 percent, from July 2001 to July 2002, compared with a gain of 109,120 people, or 5.4 percent, from July 2000 to July 2001.

Nevada's population is 2,206,022, Hardcastle said. That represents an adjustment from an earlier estimate made last July of 2,195,826 people. Gov. Kenny Guinn is expected to make the total official this week.

"Even though our growth rate has slowed, we were still estimated to be the fastest-growing state in the nation from 2001 to 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau," Hardcastle said.

The population of Las Vegas was adjusted to 514,640 by the demographer, up from an earlier estimate of 508,109.

That will mean a little extra state funding for Las Vegas, officials said.

Clark County, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City also gained after Hardcastle revised the state figures.

Clark County's population was set at 1,549,657, up from an earlier estimate of 1,541,395. The county projected 1,584,944 residents.

Henderson's population was set at 209,486, up from an earlier estimate of 207,007.

North Las Vegas' population was set at 135,967, up from an earlier estimate of 132,908.

Boulder City's population was set at 14,842, up from an earlier estimate of 14,581.

Discrepancies between state and local population claims were settled last week after state officials met with their local counterparts. The state relies on housing data, employment figures, school enrollment and utility hookups, while local governments rely mainly on housing data.

The revised figures are used to calculate the amount of sales, cigarette, gasoline and other taxes the state offers to cities and counties.

Southern Nevada's suburbs showed robust growth overall. Summerlin's population grew to 139,290 people, a 59 percent gain. Enterprise, a township at the southern end of the Las Vegas Valley, added 34,017 new residents for an increase of almost 36 percent.