Lincoln’s population surpasses quarter-million milestone

[Edagger]

http://lincolnjournalstar.com/news/loca ... 230361.txt



A quarter-million people — that’s finally the official answer to questions about Lincoln’s size.

We’re now the 72nd largest city in the U.S., bigger even than Fort Wayne, Ind., according to 2008 Census estimates released Wednesday.

Need more to brag about? The Lincoln area is the 155th largest U.S. metropolitan area, up from 160th in 2000.

Technically, Lincoln had 251,624 people in 2008.

Omaha, for its part, overtook Cleveland, at least among cities proper. But with an estimated 438,646 residents in 2008, Omaha has nowhere near Cleveland’s metro population.

David Drozd of the Center for Public Affairs Research called 2008 a good year for growth, “the strongest growth in a dozen years,” at least for large Nebraska cities. Lincoln added 3,456 people during the year. Omaha added 5,855 people.

The years since 2000 have been less kind to the state’s smaller cities and towns.

Roughly 80 percent of Nebraska places have lost ground since 2000. Nearly 40 percent of state cities have lost at least 10 percent of their size, he said.

Alliance is down 850 people since 2000. Falls City, Norfolk, McCook, Fairbury and Ogallala have each lost more than 500 people in that time. Ogallala lost the most in 2008, down 104, followed by Beatrice, down 65.

Most Nebraska growth remains homegrown, with births exceeding deaths, Drozd said.

But about a third of Lancaster County’s growth last year can be traced to immigration patterns, probably reflecting the decline of economic opportunities elsewhere — fewer Nebraskans leaving for Arizona and Florida, and an atypical net gain in people moving here from Michigan and Pennsylvania.

From that standpoint, Drozd predicted, 2009 will show similarly good growth, with Lincoln and Omaha the primary beneficiaries.

Gretna, with its 179 percent growth since 2000, remains the state’s hottest city, although its addition of 255 people last year was less than half its gains from the heydays of 2004.

Gretna’s one-year growth rate of 4 percent  for 2008 was eclipsed by four Lancaster County communities: Hickman added 104 people or 6.8 percent; Raymond added 13 people or 6.2 percent; Waverly added 173 people or 5.7 percent; and Malcolm added 22 people or 4.8 percent.

Since 2000, Hickman has the state’s fourth fastest growth rate, 46.4 percent. Waverly ranks seventh at 30.7 percent; Bennet ranks eighth at 28.4 percent; Firth ranks ninth at 22.5 percent.

Drozd cautioned the annual Census estimates tend to undercount Latinos and minorities. A more thorough count will occur next year with Census 2010, the official count used in distributing many federal dollars and in creating voting districts.

Drozd suggested Lincoln’s quarter-million milestone might gain it additional attention from developers. For companies looking to locate in cities of 250,000 or larger, he said, Lincoln now falls on their list.

Bellevue has been annexing aggressively to reach the 50,000 mark, he noted.

Jason Smith of the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development said most location evaluations tend to consider metropolitan area, which for Lincoln includes all of Lancaster and Seward counties, which together are approaching 300,000.

“Continued growth is a positive when people are looking at you,” Smith said, and 250,000 people was an important breakthrough.

Hopefully, he added, we’ll soon break 300,000.

[StreetsOfOmaha]

Is it any surprise that the way this article is written really annoyed me? Playing up Lincoln's city population (because it really doesn't have a metro to speak of), and downplaying Omaha's metro population.

Yay! Lincoln's bigger than Fort Wayne, Ind.! But Omaha's metro is NOWHERE NEAR the size of Cleveland's.

Well anyway, way to go Lincoln. One of these days your "quarter of a million" will just be another part of the OMAHA METRO!

[NovakOmaha]

Just imagine the economic engine that would exist if Omahans would lose the condescending attitude toward Lincoln and Lincoln would lose the animosity and jealousy they have toward Omaha and they worked together?

Never gonna happen but would that it did...

[Edagger]

Sorry StreetsOfOmaha...

I agree that Lincoln is much smaller and this is not a big deal.
I just figured it was relevant to post on this forum since Lincoln is a section is on here.

I will think twice next time.

Glad to join the forum.

[Stargazer]

Don't listen to the Lincoln detractors here... hitting a quarter million (and soon the metro hitting 300,000) IS a big deal.  

Many of the people who discount the importance of Lincoln here... are the same ones who brag about there being 1.2 million people within an hour radius of Omaha (of which Lincoln is a critical contribution).

And welcome to the forum.

[nativeomahan]

If it weren't for Metro Omaha and Metro Lincoln, Nebraska would pretty much just shrivel up and die.  I mean, 80% of the towns and cities somehow LOSING population this decade, and 40% losing more than 10% of their populations!  Sounds like bubonic plague or something sweeping across the state.  There aren't many parts of this planet that are managing to depopulate so quickly, short of ethnic cleansing.   Like they say, there is no place like Nebraska.....

[StreetsOfOmaha]

Edagger, no apology necessary, and welcome to the forum!

I was just criticizing the article's author, who was showing an OBVIOUS contempt for Omaha.

It's certainly a big milestone for Lincoln, and I'm glad you posted the article.

[Big E]

If it weren't for Metro Omaha and Metro Lincoln, Nebraska would pretty much just shrivel up and die.  I mean, 80% of the towns and cities somehow LOSING population this decade, and 40% losing more than 10% of their populations!  Sounds like bubonic plague or something sweeping across the state.  There aren't many parts of this planet that are managing to depopulate so quickly, short of ethnic cleansing.   Like they say, there is no place like Nebraska.....

Michigan?

[pseudoprometheus]

Cheers to the milestone!  :D

I pretty much live in both cities to some extent, so I'm glad to hear both cities are growing.  (Though I hope that a sizable chunk of that growth is in medium- to high-density areas.  Not likely, but one can hope.  Does anyone have statistics on this?)

Agreed, the residents of both cities ought to get along better and actually be supportive of each other.  The animosity and friction is lame and needs to go.

[Erik]

If it weren't for Metro Omaha and Metro Lincoln, Nebraska would pretty much just shrivel up and die.  I mean, 80% of the towns and cities somehow LOSING population this decade, and 40% losing more than 10% of their populations!  Sounds like bubonic plague or something sweeping across the state.  There aren't many parts of this planet that are managing to depopulate so quickly, short of ethnic cleansing.   Like they say, there is no place like Nebraska.....

The tri-cities are growing at or above the national average as well..

So without Omaha, Lincoln and the Tri-cities the state of Nebraska is shriveling up.

This is a huge milestone for Lincoln, and I do not forsee this changing either.  This city is beginning to hit a large swath of cities that haven't seen much growth and within a few decades I wouldn't doubt for a second if it nears the top50 largest cities in the US (Omaha nears the top 30 at the same time) and while this is going on the two Metropolitan areas would have already combined and most likely be approaching 1.7 million people (currently 1.2 million with at least an additional 400,000 people in growth and another 100,000 in new counties being added to the metro.) and be near the top40 metro areas in the nation, and near the top25 (stand-alone) metro areas in the nation.

[edsas]

Well, we might soon be adding 5 ex-Californians to that number.

My wife's department at the LA Times just got the hatchet.  We're talking about moving to Lincoln and the idea of finding a nice size house for under $300,000 really excites us.

[Erik]

Well, we might soon be adding 5 ex-Californians to that number.

My wife's department at the LA Times just got the hatchet.  We're talking about moving to Lincoln and the idea of finding a nice size house for under $300,000 really excites us.

Lincoln has some beautiful homes for under $300,000.   Have you lived here before?

[edsas]

Yeah. I went to college at UNL from 1993-1999.  My wife is an alum, too.

[Erik]

Yeah. I went to college at UNL from 1993-1999.  My wife is an alum, too.

Since that time there has been some very strong signals of both Omaha and Lincoln becoming bigger players..  Lincoln is growing faster than ever and Omaha is pulling in A projects..

1999 is a long time ago in the areas landscape and I think you are going to be surprised to see how much Lincoln has grown and how Omaha has become a player in the national facilities..  

And you are coming at a time when a lot of progress is about to get started after what has already been accomplished.