Douglas population growth driven by migration

If Douglas County had to rely on its natural birth and death rates, it would have lost 1,661 residents since July 1, 2011.

There were 599 deaths in the county between July 1, 2019 and July 1, 2020, according to the Census, up from 534 the year before.

During the same time frame, there were 329 births in the county, up slightly from 325 the year before.

Of course, the main source of Douglas County’s new residents is migration from other parts of the country.

The final estimate before the actual count is released estimated there were 49,088 people living in Douglas County on July 1, 2020, up from 48,998 the year before.

That change was significantly lower than the previous two years.

The population increased 513 in the 2018 estimate and 471 in the 2019 estimate. Another large pulse came in 2014, when the county added 450 people to its population.

Those surges were driven by domestic migration, mostly from California.

The 2018 estimate indicated 799 people moved to Douglas, while 2019 saw 678. Those numbers are higher than the total increase in population due to the number of deaths.

The vintage 2020 estimates will be compared with the actual count when it becomes available.

Compared with the actual 2010 Census result, the county added 2,091 new residents over the past decade.

Unfortunately, the 2020 estimate doesn’t provide a glimpse of what will be revealed with the actual Census is revealed, according to officials.

And even when the Census is released, it won’t include the people who have moved to Douglas County since April 2020.

One source of current population figures are the Douglas County voter rolls.

According to the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, there were 39,453 active voters in the county as of May 3, down from 39,646 on Jan. 8.

The year opened with 2,316 inactive voters, which increased to 2,939 inactive voters on May 3. Inactive voters are those who didn’t cast a ballot in the last election. They are still registered to vote.

A decrease in active voters is usually accompanied by an increase in inactive voters.

County records show around 270 single family dwelling permits pulled since July 1, 2020.