Population Decline Characterizes Nebraska\u27s Small Counties

The Bureau of Business Research (BBR) has prepared estimates of future populations, based upon Census 2000 data. This article focuses on the 34 smallest counties in the state. All of these counties had populations below 5,000 in 2000\u27, The demographic of the group is one of continuing decline (Figure 1). Overall, tolal population in these 34 counties will decrease 15.8 percent during the forecast period-2000 to 2020. Compared to recent history, the population projections for these counties are conservative. Historic population losses were 17 percent from 1960 to 1980 and 18 percent from 1980 to 2000. By 2020 the group will have lost 42.6 percent of its 1960 population. Additional county data are available on the BBR website. www.bbbr.unl.edu. The tables include total population for each decade from 1960 to 2020, natural change from 1990 to 2000, net migration rates from 1960 through 2020. and sector share of employment in 1999. Historic Demographic Change Employment and Agriculture Population Projections Changing the Futur