Growth on the fringe of the Omaha metro area sputters

It's becoming a little less popular to live on the fringe of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area these days.

The latest population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that many cities on the metro area's edge, including Blair, Fremont and Wahoo, lost people between 2007 and 2008.

At the same time, the core of the metro area held up strongly, said David Drozd, a demographer in the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Center for Public Affairs Research.

The timing of the estimates coincides with last year's spike in gas prices, and the figures led some to wonder whether people were moving to shorten their work commutes.

“We're going to feel those effects as much as anyone,” said Allan Hale, president of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce.

The numbers hardly show an exodus. Blair lost an estimated 64 people. Fremont, which has 5,000 commuters leave the city each weekday and another 3,500 enter, lost 49 people.

But any loss is enough for local business boosters to take notice.

“This might be a hiccup from the economy,” said Harriet Waite, executive director of the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce.

The trend isn't limited to the Omaha area. Reversing a decade-long trend, many of America's largest cities in this report were growing more quickly than the rest of the nation, a sign that the economic crisis is making it harder for people to move.

“Suburban sprawl may not be dead, but it's certainly on hiatus,” said Mark Mather, associate vice president of the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau.

The City of Omaha grew by its largest amount this decade, UNO's Drozd said, adding an estimated 5,855 people.

All five cities in Sarpy County showed growth, led by Bellevue with 1,454 more people and Papillion with 880 more.

In Pottawattamie County, Council Bluffs added an estimated 233 people.

The latest numbers also showed that several Iowa cities in the Omaha metro area posted losses. Those included Missouri Valley, Dunlap, Logan and Woodbine.

Glenwood, in Iowa's Mills County, and Ashland, in Nebraska's Saunders County, were the only two cities on the metro's fringe to add more than 10 people. Plattsmouth's population was unchanged.

The figures are not as authoritative as results from the 10-year national census tally that is coming in 2010.

But the estimates as of July 1, 2008, for cities — defined by boundaries of incorporated areas and taking into account local records of births and deaths, Internal Revenue Service records of people moving within the U.S. and census statistics on immigrants — provide an annual gauge of local population trends.

For the last several years, Blair and Fremont reliably had grown each year.

With the housing market being down, Hale said he wondered if people might be taking the opportunity to buy a bargain house in Omaha.

Waite said she was surprised by Blair's estimated loss because the city is having new jobs come open. The chamber, she said, often sends out relocation packets for people interested in moving to the city.

“I know we have a steady stream of new people moving in,” she said. “But are other people moving into Omaha? I don't know.”

Other highlights from the estimates being released today:

— Aside from Omaha and Lincoln, Grand Island added the most people for the year, 935, of any Nebraska city.

— Six towns in Adams County (Hastings) were among Nebraska's 15th fastest-growing places for 2008: Prosser, Juniata, Holstein, Kenesaw, Roseland and Ayr. The towns are small, so adding a few people can boost their growth rates.

— Nationally, New Orleans was the fastest-growing large city for 2008. Before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans was larger than Omaha with 455,046 people. It now has 311,853 people.

— New York continued to be the nation's most populous city, with 8.4 million residents. Los Angeles ranked second at 3.8 million. Rounding out the top 10 were Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Dallas, San Diego and San Jose, Calif.

This report include material from the Associated Press.

Contact the writer:

444-1128, jeff.robb@owh.com