Pahrump gained 81 residents in the third quarter of 2009, increasing the population to 38,275, which is still 346 residents less than a year ago, according to estimates from the Nye County Planning Department.

The peak population in Pahrump was estimated at 38,859 after the fourth quarter of 2007, before the current economic slump began.

Nye County gained 75 residents in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, to 46,284. A year ago, after the third quarter of 2008, Nye County had 285 more residents, a population of 46,569. The county's peak population was also after the fourth quarter of 2007, with 46,850 residents. Pahrump comprises 82.6 percent of Nye County's population.

Tonopah had two more residents, with an estimated 2,924 people, its highest population in recent history. That's an increase of 48 residents from a year ago. Tonopah's population also crested at the end of 2007 to 2,911 residents, then dipped down to 2,876 after the third quarter of 2008, but has been slowly rebounding since.

Elsewhere in Nye County:

* The population of Beatty stayed at 1,061, which is 26 more people than a year ago, but still below the recent peak of 1,133 residents after the second quarter of 2007.

* The population of Amargosa Valley dropped by 16 residents from 1,381 to 1,365 during the quarter, which is 21 less residents than a year ago.

* Smoky Valley's population increased by 10 people, to 1,798 residents, which is two more residents than a year ago.

* Gabbs lost three residents, dropping to a population of 392, which is seven fewer residents than a year ago.

* The population of Reese River Valley in far northwestern Nye County remained at 114 and hasn't changed since the first quarter of 2008.

The Nye County Planning Department calculates its estimates based on the number of active, residential accounts furnished by electrical utilities multipled by the average number of persons in each household in the 2000 census. For group quarters like detention facilities and nursing homes the planning department uses a trending factor that is checked annually with telephone interviews.

The 0.9 percent drop in population in Pahrump over the last year corresponds to a percentage presented by Valley Electric Assocition Finance Manager Brian Fickett at the last VEA board of directors meeting. He said Valley Electric, --which includes Sandy Valley, Beatty, Amargosa Valley and Fish Lake Valley in its service territory -- went from 20,924 meters to 20,743 meters in the last year.

Energy sales were down 3.7 percent in the year ending Aug. 31, Fickett said.

Nye County School District officials reported a drop of 181 students in their enrollment taken on the official count day in late September. The school district counted 6,167 students districtwide, a 0.3 percent drop from the 6,349 students on count day in September 2008.

That continues a two-year slide in enrollment from 6,421 students in the 2007-08 school year.

There were 77 fewer students at the five Pahrump elementary schools this year, a 3.4 percent drop. Enrollments dropped sharply by more than 10 percent in Beatty and Amargosa Valley elementary schools. Enrollment in the two Tonopah elementary schools and Tonopah High School declined from 472 students to 439.