Another is the ongoing investment Aurora area residents make in their community. That investment, or community development, includes support for new housing, health care, schools and new industry. Good roads and being located along Interstate 80 also help. Those things make Hamilton County a desirable place in which to live, and that leads to population growth. Those things don't happen just because of luck or good fortune.
Community development takes work, planning and community leadership.
As Grand Island and other Central Nebraska communities look at their priorities and long-range plans, population growth alone is not the ultimate goal. Quality growth is what's important, and that comes from improving the economic opportunity and quality of life in a progressive community. Rapid growth, or growth at any cost, brings numerous problems. But when the focus is on improving the quality of life, both existing and new residents benefit. Hamilton County, with strong civic leadership, is doing it right.