• The population of Nevada is the fastest growing of all US states [See US picture].
• Statistics report a 650% increase between 1950 and 1990. Between 1980 and 1990 the increase was 50% [See Graph].
• The population increase is concentrated in the counties of Clark and Carson City, respectively comprising Las Vegas and Reno, while large desert areas remained very sparsely populated as they were in the State's history.  [See West US Animation].
• The increase in population has raised concerns about the ability of the state to support itself given the current regime of taxation. The clash is between the contrasting views of those supporting the idea of enforcing a higher taxation and those concerned with a taxation that has increased at a faster rate than population (i.e. in 1981-1992, 59% population increase and 223% taxation increase) [source: Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI)]

• The polarized distribution of population concentrated in hot spots (Carson City, Clark County) is probably due to the original settlements located close to water resources (e.g. Colorado River). The desertic nature of the Nevadan landscape is the reason for large areas being almost uninhabited. However, the importance of mineral resources offset the pattern producing localized concentrations of population.
• Among the population hot spots, Carson City County has a higher population density than Clark County (despite Las Vegas), effect probably due to the small size of the county area.
• Among the great attractions for living in Nevada are the low taxes (e.g. no state tax and low corporate taxes), the warm climate year round, and the quickly expanding entertainment industry that generates jobs requiring resident population.
• Considering the progression of population from 1900 to 2000 we observe a continuous increase in population (only one county has shown a decrease in population for a 10 year period), so that the general state pattern is repeated at a lower geographic scale. However, when the state pattern is broken down into the respective components of each county population density growth [see County Density Growth Graph], a pattern emerges showing the exponential increase of Carson City and Clark County, while the other counties show only a more moderate exponential increase. In conclusion, population desnity growth in Nevada is a very spatially heterogeneous phenomenon with large differentials within the state [see Population Density Nevada Graph] .

State Growth: The interior west states, NV, AZ, UT, CO and ID, plus Georgia, grow twice as fast as the national average. Nevada has clearly the top growing population.

[Source: US Census Bureau]

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Graph of Nevada Population

The graph shows the steady and dramatic increase of Nevada population. Year 2000 data are in reality forecasts from 1990 census, used instead of the available Census data for compatibility with projections. Note the steady growth in the 1980s nothwithstanding the economic down-turn following the boom in prices for the energy crisis [Source: Western Futures]

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Animation of West US Urban Growth

The animation shows the development of urban centers in Western US. In Nevada it is clear that urban growth is concentrated in the urban areas of Las Vegas and Reno, while the rest of the state remains very sparsely populated.

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General Nevada Population Density growth 1900-2000

The graph shows the exponential Nevada population density growth. It can be related to the county by county breakdown of population density growth [Graph].
 

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County by county population density growth 1900-2000

 

 The graph shows the differential population density growth for each of Nevada's counties, indicating two top examples of exponential growth (Clark County followed by Carson City), intermediate cases of intermediate exponential growth especially significant after the 1970s (Nye) and finally the great majority of counties with very low rates of (still) exponential growth, with sharp increases in the last twenty years.

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