Despite economy, Clark County sees small population growth

By Kyle B. Hansen

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Despite Las Vegas’ spot at the top of the foreclosure and unemployment rankings, Clark County has continued to grow and remains the 15th largest county in the nation, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Las Vegas kept its spot as the 30th largest metropolitan area in the nation, as well. The city had the same ranking last year.

The data is the last annual estimate of population before the completion of the 2010 census. The data is an estimate of population as of July 1, 2009.

According to the Census Bureau, Clark County had 1,902,834 residents on July 1, 2009. That represents a 1.3 percent increase from the previous year, when the county had 1,879,093 residents.

While population growth in the county has been slowing — from 2007 to 2008 the increase was 2.1 percent — the region has gained more than 500,000 people since the 2000 census, a 38.3 percent rise in population in 10 years.

That puts Clark County in the No. 64 spot on the nation’s list of fastest-growing counties with more than 10,000 people. Last year, the county was in the 67th spot on the list.

Lyon County, just east of Carson City, ranks higher than Clark on the list. With 52,641 people, it is 23rd fastest-growing in the nation and experienced a 52.6 percent rise in population from 2000 to 2009.

Over the past 10 years, most of Clark County’s population increase has been the result of people moving here from other parts of the United States. But in the last year, that trend has shifted.

In the last year, 1,256 more people moved out of the county than moved here from domestic destinations, but 8,800 people moved to Clark County from outside the U.S.

The remainder of Clark County’s population increase is the result of more births than deaths. From 2000 to 2009, 246,666 people were born and 111,822 people died in the county, the Census Bureau said.

The Census Bureau’s estimate for Clark County is close to that of the state demographer’s office, which projected the county had 1,952,040 residents. The county’s Comprehensive Planning Department puts the figure higher, reporting that last November that the county passed the 2 million-people mark, with 2,006,347 residents.

The Census Bureau said Nevada’s population was 2,643,085 as of July 1, a 1 percent increase from the previous year. In 2000, the state’s population was 1,998,257.