Pahrump driving county population increase

Pahrump population growth continues to increase the county’s numbers for the sixth straight quarter, as population estimates for the third quarter of 2014 were released by the county Planning Department last week.

The Nye County population increased another 31 residents to 46,941, a one-tenth of 1 percent rise, while in Pahrump another 68 people were added to the population which went up to 38,718.

The population of Tonopah dropped by 17 people, a decrease of a half-percent, to 3,178 residents in the third quarter, where the SolarReserve construction project is winding down.

The population of Beatty fell 1.4 percent, by 15 people, down to 1,034 residents.

In Amargosa Valley there were seven fewer residents, with a population of 1,339.

The Smoky Valley population fell by six people to 1,837 residents.

The county population was up .7 percent from the second quarter of 2014 and a .7 percent increase from the third quarter of 2013 when there were 46,618 residents. The Pahrump population rose .6 percent in that same year, from 38,492 residents.

The planning department uses active residential customer data from various electrical utilities multiplied times the average number of persons per household as determined by the U.S. Census.

The population of residents living in group quarters like nursing homes and detention facilities is estimated quarterly, which is monitored on an annual basis by conducting telephone interviews.

Nye County uses the population estimates to prepare baseline projections for the county and its communities, for public and private agency planning and management purposes and as an estimate to monitor and assess baseline conditions for the Yucca Mountain project.