Nebraska's residents turn to urban living

By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
Updated 1h 12m ago |

Nebraska's rural areas continue to lose population although they are flourishing economically, according to Census Bureau data released Tuesday. People are heading to the bigger cities of Omaha and Lincoln.

Lincoln, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska, saw its population grow 14.5% from 2000 to 2010, new Census data show.

Sixty-eight of the state's 93 counties lost population from 2000 to 2010 even as the state grew 6.7% over the decade to 1,826,341. More than half the population growth was Hispanic. The fastest-growing counties were home to Omaha and Lincoln, the state's two biggest cities, or their suburbs.

Nebraska's agricultural areas are booming because of high crop prices, and the state's 4.3% unemployment rate in December was second lowest in the nation.

Yet the productivity of modern agriculture — bigger farms and ranches needing fewer workers — has sent people away from prosperous small towns to prosperous big ones.

NEBRASKA: Local county, city data
CENSUS NUMBERS: Interactive map shows your state, county, locality

"Three trends have reshaped Nebraska since the '60s," says Dennis Schuster, mayor of Beatrice, Neb., and a construction company owner.

The demographic wave that flowed throughout the decade:

• People are moving from farms and tiny towns to more populated county seats.

• People are leaving the arid, rural west for the wetter, more populated east.

• People throughout the state are moving to Lincoln and Omaha.

Census numbers where you live
Click here for an interactive map with data representing where you live.

"The first rule for small towns is don't get flattened by these demographic trends," Schuster says.

Beatrice, a county seat, shrank by 37 residents over the decade to 12,459. It's had roughly the same population for 50 years although it expanded its territory through annexation.

The long-term future of Beatrice may be connected to the expansion of Lincoln 40 miles away, the mayor says.

Lincoln, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska, saw its population grow 14.5% from 2000 to 2010 to 258,379.

Douglas County — home of Omaha — enjoyed an 11.5% population gain to 517,110. Neighboring Sarpy County was the fastest growing county in the state, up 29.6% over the decade to 158,840 in 2010.

The effect of super-investor Warren Buffett has boosted the entire Omaha economy, says Barry Kennedy, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Many residents were early investors in Buffett's Omaha-based company, Berkshire Hathaway. The company's market value exceeds $200 billion.

Although Berkshire is noted for its low overhead and employs few people directly, the company's many related firms are a backbone of the local economy, Kennedy says. It also has helped created a flourishing small-business community, he says.

Kennedy is a typical Nebraskan. He commuted 65 miles daily to the state capital from his hometown of Pawnee City until his children graduated from school. Then he moved to be close to work. His hometown lost 155 residents from 2000 to 2010, dropping to 878 residents, the Census reports.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/cen ... nsus_N.htm