United States › Nebraska › Custer County COUNTY
Custer County Nebraska · 10,500 residents (2025 est.) · 2,575 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Custer County is home to 10,518 people in Nebraska. Density works out to 4 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $157,800, having roughly tripled since 2000. About 24% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 2% of locals were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 17 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 11,793 in 2000
10,500 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 4 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 41.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
10K 11K 11K 12K 12K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Custer County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $67,906
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,677 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,171 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 19.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 12.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.408 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 18.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.9%
Public administration 3.6%
Transportation & warehousing 2.7%
Education & health services 2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.6%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$157,800
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $52,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$853
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $333 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 73.0% in 2000
31.1% rent
from 17.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.25 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 17.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 23.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 1.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 98%(11,553)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(108)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 91.6%(9,634)
from 7 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 13 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 20 more ancestry groups with data from 16.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 87.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 71.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 4.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 65.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 78.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 11.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 65.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 86.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 24.8%(1,053)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 40.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 33.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 71.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 36.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 19.1%(91)
Share of the 477 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Custer County Head to head
Compare Custer County to nearby counties Frequently asked
How many people live in Custer County, Nebraska? Custer County, Nebraska has about 10,518 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Custer County, Nebraska? The typical household in Custer County, Nebraska earns about $67,906 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Custer County, Nebraska expensive? In Custer County, Nebraska, the median home is worth about $157,800, and the typical rent is about $853 a month.
How educated are people in Custer County, Nebraska? About 24.3% of adults age 25 and over in Custer County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Custer County, Nebraska? About 7.1% of people in Custer County, Nebraska live below the federal poverty line.
Has Custer County, Nebraska grown since 1990? Yes, Custer County, Nebraska has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,752 residents, a change of about -14 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 