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Hall, Adams and Buffalo were among the 20 Nebraska counties that gained population between 1990 and 2000 and have continued to gain population between the last official U.S. Census and July 1, 2007.
The figures were released today.
Buffalo County is the fourth fastest-growing Nebraska county so far this decade in terms of absolute numbers at 2,717 people gained. Following Buffalo County are Hall County at 2,108 people gained and Adams County at 1,838, according to the latest estimates issued by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy counties are first, second and third, respectively, in terms of increases in absolute numbers.
In terms of percentage gain, Sarpy County leads the state this decade, with a gain of 19.7 percent, followed by Lancaster County at 10.1 percent, Douglas County at 7.3 percent, Buffalo County at 6.4 percent, Washington County at 6.3 percent, Adams County at 5.9 percent, Cass County at 5.1 percent and Hall County in eighth place with 3.9 percent.
Hall County's total population is now 55,642, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Buffalo County's total population is now at 44,976, while Adams County's total population is 32,990, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Hall County's increase of 2,108 people so far this decade was aided by a net gain of 3,163 more births than deaths in the county.
Hall County's total population was dragged down by 849 people, however, because its net international migration of 1,801 did not keep pace with the net internal out-migration of 2,650 people to other parts of the state and the country.
Adams County followed the same pattern as Hall County, with births outpacing deaths, but net internal out-migration lagging behind net international migration.
Buffalo County had a different pattern, having both more births than deaths and positive numbers for both international migration and internal migration from other parts of Nebraska and the country.
Hall County has gained 176 people from Buffalo and Adams counties during 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. That net gain was 100 people from Adams County and 76 from Buffalo County during that three-year period, according to information from the Internal Revenue Service on where tax returns were filed from one year to the next.
In addition to losing 100 people to Hall County, Adams County also lost 13 people to Buffalo County for a net out-migration of 113 people in the Tri-Counties and Tri-Cities area.
Losing 76 people to Hall County and gaining 13 from Adams County gave Buffalo County a net out-migration of 63 people in the Tri-Counties and Tri-Cities area.
A one-year snapshot from the IRS for 2005-06, though, shows Hall County is losing population to its more populous neighbors to the east. During that year, Hall County saw 130 people move to Lancaster County, 32 people move to Douglas County and 14 people move to Sarpy County.
Hall County has also lost population to places such as Maricopa County, Ariz., to other Midwestern states and especially to states in the South.
David Drozd of the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha said that's a typical pattern. Larger communities such as Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney tend to draw people from smaller communities in Nebraska.
However, people from Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney tend to migrate to larger metropolitan areas such as Lincoln and Omaha, Drozd said.
Lincoln and Omaha tend to lose people to even larger metropolitan areas such as Kansas City, he said.
When divided by age groups, 27.1 percent of Hall County's population is under 18, 59.3 percent is between 18 and 64, and 13.6 percent is 65 and over.
Adams County has 23.5 percent of its population under 18, 61.5 between 18 and 64 and 15 percent over 65. Buffalo County has 23.8 percent of its population under 18, 64.6 percent between 18 and 64 and 11.5 percent age 65 and older.
The percentages for Nebraska as a whole are 25.2 percent of the population under 18, 61.6 percent between 18 and 64 and 13.3 percent age 65 and older.
Grand Island's estimated population as of July 1, 2006, was 44,632. Hastings' latest estimated population is 25,144, and Kearney's latest estimated population is 29,385.
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