2025 Census Estimates

[Garrett]

https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/27 ... -reverses/

Nebraska added around 12,500 to hit 2,018,006 people with international migration dropping by about half, and only losing a little over 300 people to domestic migration compared to 6,000 in 2021.

[riceweb]

That's not a bad number, but I think the really interesting number will be the 2026 estimate. It's interesting to note that the domestic migration number has been on a positive five year trend, and if that continues, we might see positive net migration in 2026 (I'm skeptical but that would be a win after a pretty bad stretch since around 2017)

[Erik]

Nebraska was the 18th fastest growing state by rate at 0.62%, while faster than the national average of 0.52%

[Gobears27]

Nebraska was passed by Idaho in population in this census estimate. This drops Omaha to the 39th most populous state.

[Garrett]

It'll be a couple days until the full data is out of press embargo, but we have a map of county population change

[TitosBuritoBarn]

It'll be a couple days until the full data is out of press embargo, but we have a map of county population change

It's all available right now. The Census have decided to make the data location even less obvious this year: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys ... ables.html

I don't have time at the moment to copy much of the info, but the Omaha MSA had an excellent year; 2025 population is 1,009,836, compared to (a revised) 1,000,266 in 2024. A one-year growth rate of 0.96%. Metros nationwide grew at about 0.5% on aferage last year.

[iamjacobm]

So it looks like Omaha is the 56th largest MSA now. Passes New Orleans and Honolulu but got passed by Greenville SC which is growing like a weed. We are likely to catch Rochester NY in a few years but some other rapidly growing southern cities may be passing is by then so probably won’t move up the ranks much.

[Louie]

So it looks like Omaha is the 56th largest MSA now. Passes New Orleans and Honolulu but got passed by Greenville SC which is growing like a weed. We are likely to catch Rochester NY in a few years but some other rapidly growing southern cities may be passing is by then so probably won’t move up the ranks much.

Everything in the Piedmont is growing super fast.

[Garrett]

So it looks like Omaha is the 56th largest MSA now. Passes New Orleans and Honolulu but got passed by Greenville SC which is growing like a weed. We are likely to catch Rochester NY in a few years but some other rapidly growing southern cities may be passing is by then so probably won’t move up the ranks much.

It'll depend on how much the lack of international migration over the next few years effects growth. We have hints of it with these estimates, but 2026 estimates will be more telling.

As far as sunbelt cities, it looks like the biggest "threats" to Omaha's placement would be "North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida" which is at 948,158 and has added 114,439 since 2020 vs Omaha's 42,232 and currently sits at 61st, so could catch up by 2030. 66th Charleston SC(889,263 up 89,632), 72nd Cape Coral FL(875,607 up 114,780), and 73rd Lakeland FL (874,790 up 149,748) are also up there in growth but shouldn't be nipping at Omaha's heels until more in the 2030s. From there, it looks the the field is relatively clear.

[Cermak]

Looking at the US map the eastern part of Texas is growing in leaps and bounds. As well as Florida and parts of the southeast. I wonder if Florida will someday hit its breaking point and see a slow down in population growth much like what happened to California.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Looking at the US map the eastern part of Texas is growing in leaps and bounds. As well as Florida and parts of the southeast. I wonder if Florida will someday hit its breaking point and see a slow down in population growth much like what happened to California.

Highly likely Florida will hit a breaking point somewhat soon. Insurance rates are skyrocketing there due to increased flooding and hurricane activity. Also, a huge portion of the population moving there are retirees. As such, many of these high growth counties have significant negative natural population change, meaning way more people are dying there than being born. I'm under the impression the pipeline of retirees is narrowing as the baby boomers die off and that paired with the a negative natural population change which should continue after the retirees stop coming would stop growth pretty quickly.

[Garrett]

City level estimates are out!

https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/18 ... -and-2025/

https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time ... towns.html

Highlights:

City of Omaha remains down about 4,000 people from 2020, with an estimated decrease of 450 between 2024 and 2025.
Lincoln is up almost 10,000 from 2020, with an increase of 2,257 between 2024 and 2025.

Hickman, Nebraska continues to be the fastest growing city with over 1,000 residents, going from 2,632 in 2020 to 3,663 in 2025.

Of the 14 Nebraska cities with over 10,000 but fewer than 100,000 residents, Fremont and Columbus are growing the fastest, both adding around 1,200 residents since 2020.

Similar to Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Gretna, and Ralston are all down slightly from their 2020 numbers. However, further out cities in the metro, such as Ashland, Valley, Wahoo, and Plattsmouth, are all growing.

[skinzfan23]

I always find these numbers a little crazy. The 2020 populations were just over 486,000, but now the table shows it was just shy of 493,000. Just crazy that the numbers change that much. If you look at the actual 2020 census Omaha has gained about 2,700 since 2020.

These numbers still feel way off based on the number of apts that have been constructed within the city in the past 4-5 years.

[Erik]

I always wait till the official release. I have been highly skeptical of estimates since the 2000 census and have been right to - every time

[Omaha Cowboy]

I always wait till the official release. I have been highly skeptical of estimates since the 2000 census and have been right to - every time

Agreed….

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Omaha Cowboy]

I always find these numbers a little crazy. The 2020 populations were just over 486,000, but now the table shows it was just shy of 493,000. Just crazy that the numbers change that much. If you look at the actual 2020 census Omaha has gained about 2,700 since 2020.

These numbers still feel way off based on the number of apts that have been constructed within the city in the past 4-5 years.

I agree. The Omaha MSA adds nearly 10k, from 2024 to 2025 but yet the city populations are practically stagnant or declining during the same time frame? Unless SID’s are driving the MSA growth (and they could be), I believe these estimates are off..

That said, I hope the Ewing administration looks into this and develops the appropriate annexation packages. Also, based on all the urban infill residential additions, you’d think the core is actually, adding population..Which I think is happening..

In the end, the official 2030 Census will more accurately tell the tale…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Cermak]

I drove around parts of Omaha yesterday mainly Dodge Street area east of 72nd to downtown. The amount of new apartments in this part of the city is crazy. It looks like the population is increasing to me, but maybe other sections of the city are losing residents so it could be a wash. Population estimates are always difficult to get totally right. There’s even a new large apartment complex going up just south of 72nd and Dodge south of the new library, I didn’t even know about this one, it looks massive.

[Brad]

There’s even a new large apartment complex going up just south of 72nd and Dodge south of the new library, I didn’t even know about this one, it looks massive.

Its a actually the first thread in the suburban section right now:
viewtopic.php?t=24988