[InTheO!]

According to Forbes Omaha is one of the America's fastest growing cities. It states:

The Omaha metro area has a population of 838,875, making it the 60th largest metropolitan area in the country. And it's growing, thanks to high in-migration and a recent baby boom that added about 4,600 children between 2008 and 2009. The population has grown 9.4% to from 2000 to 2009, and it is expected to grow another 2.3% by 2014. Why are so many people flocking to Omaha? One reason is the low cost of living, including stable housing prices (like many of the Great Plains cities). Another reason: jobs. Omaha ranked ninth in our most recent best big cities for job list, with its healthy agriculture and civil engineering industries. Its friendly attitude toward business and innovation--as well as the strong universities in the area--has made it a leader in biotechnology. More than 20 bioscience companies are headquartered there--including Streck Laboratories and ConAgra Foods.
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I believe we ranked #6th on the list. Good job Omaha!

[Omahahonors]

Trust me, Omaha will grow by much more than that 2.3% growth in five years. These projections are always on the most consverative side for Omaha and Nebraska.

As a matter of fact, a projection by the US census bureau in 2002 said the state of Nebraska wouldn't break 1.8 million until 2030, but managed to surpass it by 2008 or 2009.
Omaha will probably have grown 6-7% or more in 5 years since the city is currently averaging 1.4%-1.5% growth per year today.

[GraniteStater]

Omaha grows because of rural in-migration as well as mainly from other areas of the Midwest. Most of the growth is due to natural increase as Omaha has a very very high birth rate compared to most other cities and is close to SLC in that regard. I also don't understand this obsession with population growth. These days, I think most people would be concerned with good job growth that pays GOOD WAGES.

[InTheO!]

I also think it has to do with the fact Omaha, unlike all the other cities, has annexing laws which allows it to grow whereas others do not. But I agree, we are growing much faster I think than the study shows.

[harshbarj]

Kinda flies in the face of those claiming people are leaving Omaha in droves. I am sure they will not believe the numbers that will be released in a few months from the 2010 census.

[Raphael07]

Who says that?

[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by Raphael07

Who says that?

Read the ketv and wowt forums. If you go by their words Omaha is turning into a ghost town.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

Read the ketv and wowt forums. If you go by their words Omaha is turning into a ghost town.

Those people are pretty much bat **** crazy.

[Omahahonors]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Omaha grows because of rural in-migration as well as mainly from other areas of the Midwest. Most of the growth is due to natural increase as Omaha has a very very high birth rate compared to most other cities and is close to SLC in that regard. I also don't understand this obsession with population growth. These days, I think most people would be concerned with good job growth that pays GOOD WAGES.

Omaha also is growing by net international migration. The Omaha MSA grew 8500 from international migration during the 2008-2009 year alone.

Look. Omaha cannot annex neighborhoods unless neighorhoods are built first. Omaha just doesn't magically annex a city 10 miles away. It has to be a continuous development, and this growth is fast.

The estimates have the MSA growing more than 10,000 a year (some more than others), and more than likely will continue to see that rise as we have the last 20 years.

If you look at the estimates, Omaha isn't just annexing distant towns in Nebraska.. It actually grows into them and then annexes them if they do not agree to stop taking their outward growth.

Estimates:
City 390,007 in 2000 to 454,000 in 2009
MSA 767,000 in 2000 to 858,000 in 2009 (Expect this to be closer to 900,000 with the US census bureau always understimating, plus another year of growth)..

With Lincoln the combines area is 1.185 million

[InTheO!]

So true OH, we annex because we grow. But the fact is that most cities don't have such flexible annexation laws to allow this and that's why so many cities are really made up for a couple dozen small towns. Luckily we don't have that. But it does show that we are growing and growing fast. People are moving here for whatever reason, I see it every week. We are also blessed with the fact we have so much land to grow with.