OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska’s population topped 1.9 million for the first time ever, and the state’s growth rate exceeded neighboring Iowa and matched the national rate.
New U.S. Census estimates released Tuesday show Nebraska grew 0.7 percent to reach 1,907,116 on July 1. Iowa’s population grew 0.41 percent to hit 3,134,693.
Nebraska’s growth rate matched the national rate between July 2015 and July 2016. The U.S. population reached 323,127,513 in July.
David Drozd, research coordinator at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Public Affairs Research, said the state’s growth rate ranked 18th in the past year, much better than where it usually falls in the 30s.
The latest figures suggest Nebraska has a decent chance to keep all three of its U.S. House seats after the 2020 Census, Drozd said. The state’s 3rd District already encompasses the western two-thirds of Nebraska.
In evaluating whether Nebraska will lose a House seat, Drozd analyzed seven different growth rates and didn’t identify any scenario where the state would lose a house seat.
Nebraska’s population has grown 4.4 percent since 2010.
But the latest Census figures don’t include the full impact of changes that major employers, Conagra Brands and Cabela’s, made. Conagra moved its headquarters to Chicago from Omaha earlier this year and eliminated more than 1,000 Omaha jobs in the process. In October, Cabela’s agreed to sell itself to rival outdoor gear seller Bass Pro Shops in a $4.5 billion deal that’s certain to lead to layoffs in Cabela’s western Nebraska hometown of Sidney.
Iowa lost one of its U.S. House seats after the 2010 Census because other states had grown more quickly, so it was left with four seats. Iowa also lost a congressional seat after the 1990 Census.
But Iowa has grown 2.9 percent since 2010, making it less likely that it would lost a seat after 2020.
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