Papillion edges past Norfolk to claim 9th spot in population

NORFOLK, Neb. — Norfolk’s loss is Papillion’s gain.

According to 2008 population figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, Papillion now has an estimated 23,739 residents.

That total helps the Omaha suburb continue its climb among the ranking of Nebraska’s largest cities. Papillion is now the ninth-largest city in Nebraska, surpassing Norfolk with an estimated 22,940 residents as of July 1, 2008.

David Drozd, a research associate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said Papillion’s increase was aided by annexation of additional land into city limits as well as continued strong natural change — more births than deaths, in other words — and net migration factors.

Papillion had surpassed Columbus to be 10th-largest Nebraska city when population estimates for 2007 were released last year.

The new census figures provide a wealth of statistical information, some of it encouraging and some less so for communities across Nebraska.

Norfolk, for example, with an estimated loss of 576 residents from 2000 to 2008, trails only Alliance and Falls City for most residents lost from 2000 to 2008. But much of Norfolk’s population decline came several years ago.

Drozd said the closing of the Tyson meatpacking plant hurt Norfolk. About 1,300 jobs were lost when the Norfolk Tyson plant closed in February 2006.

But there’s encouraging news, too, he said. In the latest year, for example, Norfolk’s births outpaced deaths by 17 people, but migratory patterns accounted for a slight loss.

Given Norfolk’s historical growth and regional draw as an economic hub, it’s likely the city will again experience growth in the future, he said.

The census figures are not consistent with some of the data collected by the City of Norfolk, which indicate growth in the number of water and sewer customers and additional land being annexed into the city limits since 2000.

Based on figures supplied by the city, Norfolk may have grown or at least had a stable population this decade.

While no one disputes that Norfolk lost residents when the Tyson plant closed, there is some question about how many.

There also is question about 173 residents in Norfolk who were unaccounted for in the latest figures but were counted in the 2007 population estimates.

Drozd said he has spoken to officials in Norfolk and those conducting the census to determine if an error occurred.

It is unlikely any corrective action will be taken immediately because the 2008 estimates won’t be a basis for any type of federal assistance. Nevertheless, it is important to get it eventually corrected so no errors occur when the 2010 census is taken, Drozd said.

He said it doesn’t look like Norfolk will drop out of the state’s top 10 most populated cities.

Columbus is currently 11th, about 1,300 residents behind Norfolk, and La Vista is 12th, more than 4,000 residents behind both Columbus and Norfolk.

Columbus has been gaining an average of about 300 residents a year, Drozd said, so Norfolk’s population would have to remain flat and Columbus would have to continue to gain about 300 residents for several years to pass Norfolk.

Drozd said it also is unlikely that Norfolk will ever gain enough population to pull ahead of Papillion again. Papillion has so much available land and population to annex that Norfolk isn’t likely to catch up, he said.