Nevadans Weigh Big Increase in Residents

Nevada, which has welcomed growth with open arms, finds itself radically transformed after a decade-long growth spurt boosting the state’s population by 50%.

The growth, fed by a casino boom in Las Vegas and a wave of California migration, has altered the state’s composition and shifted the balance of political power to the population-heavy south.

Even those who promote growth are left wondering what it has done to a state where one of three residents has moved here in the last 10 years.

“It’s almost frightening at times to make you think you don’t know what Nevada is anymore,” said Jim Spoo, former mayor of Sparks and head of the state’s Economic Development Commission.

In a state where the economy is heavily dependent on casino gambling, the recent construction or announced construction of several mega-resorts in Las Vegas brought thousands of job-seekers to the area.

The city’s new reputation as a haven for senior citizens added to the influx, as did Californians seeking a more affordable and less crowded lifestyle.

At one point, forecasters estimated that 6,000 people a month were moving into the Las Vegas area, though that estimated rate has slowed by about half.

“The growth rate has gone from amazing to just brisk,” said state demographer Maud Naroll.

While Las Vegas is booming, the state’s other major population area, Reno, has lagged.

In contrast to the glittering resorts going up on the Las Vegas Strip, Reno’s main gaming area is littered with closed casinos and abandoned buildings, and the city’s tourism industry is stagnant.

“It’s no secret to anyone that the north has been more skeptical of growth. Some people would say far too skeptical,” Spoo said. “The public as well as the private leadership in the south has traditionally been far more willing to optimize growth instead of debating whether it should occur or not.”

The Las Vegas area now accounts for two-thirds of the state’s 1.3 million residents, and the southern part of the state has turned around the balance of political power that once rested in Reno. Southern legislators recently flexed their newfound muscle by passing a bill that redistributes more state tax revenues to the Las Vegas area.