A study out this week projects significant job and population growth for the five-county region of Northern Nevada. As Reno Public Radio's Julia Ritchey reports, local governments are learning just how much demand there will be for more schools, emergency services and housing.
The new report forecasts potential job growth of between 47,000 to 56,000 new positions over the next five years. That’s about a 4 percent increase each year, more than double the historical average.
Mike Kazmierski, CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada. His organization commissioned the study.
"But if you look at, ok, what does this mean for growth? We will have more housing, you need more schools, so addressing the school need is really one of the top priorities, and maybe police and fire associated with that."
Kazmierski says a committee made up of business and government stakeholders will use the data as a roadmap for future planning.
"What we were learning is they grossly underestimated the impact of growth. And by getting together as a team ... they now have a much better feel and the data necessary to plan for and mitigate the challenges of this growth."
The study found a similar jump in population, predicting as much as 64,700 new people by 2019.
**To see the full report, click here.
