CensusEasy
STATE · ADMITTED 1867

Nebraska

1,978,707 residents · 93 counties · 593 cities · 76,824 sq mi · 553 census tracts
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The short version

With 1,978,707 people, Nebraska is a state. Density works out to 26 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $238,600, having more than doubled since 2000. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. 8% of residents were born outside the United States. The population is up 16% since 2000.

NE
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,978,707
+16%since 2000
from 1,711,263 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
26 / sq mi
+12%since 2009
from 23 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
37.2
+5%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
76,824 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.5M1.7M1.8M1.9M2.0M19902000201020202024Nebraska
20242.0M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(125,375)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.7%(133,117)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.1%(140,948)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.1%(139,684)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247%(139,173)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.9%(254,673)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.1%(258,557)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(220,530)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.9%(235,845)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.9%(196,312)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(94,720)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(39,773)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$76,475
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,250 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$41,751
+113%since 2000
from $19,613 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
50.9%
+23.8 ptssince 2009
from 27.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.456
+6%since 2010
from 0.432 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration6.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction4.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$238,600
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $86,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,072
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $491 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2000
from 67.4% in 2000
33.5% rent
Vacancy rate
7.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.42 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.45 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.2%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 21.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.9%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 38.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.1
+25%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.3%(1,494,494)
Black3.9%(67,537)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(94,425)
Asian1.3%(21,677)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic75.3%(1,489,928)
Black4.6%(90,861)
Hispanic / Latino12.7%(252,023)
Asian2.6%(50,564)
Other4.8%(95,331)
Diversity Score
51
+46%since 2009
from 35 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican8.7%(172,513)
Guatemalan1%(20,233)
Salvadoran0.6%(11,341)
Cuban0.4%(8,425)
South American0.4%(7,768)
Puerto Rican0.3%(6,354)
Honduran0.2%(4,932)
Spaniard0.2%(2,993)
Colombian0.1%(2,551)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,921)
Dominican0.1%(1,406)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,329)
Chilean0.1%(1,045)
Peruvian0%(986)
Panamanian0%(748)
Argentine0%(420)
Ecuadorian0%(345)
Bolivian0%(290)
Uruguayan0%(137)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(9,771)
Vietnamese0.5%(9,099)
Burmese0.3%(6,766)
Chinese0.3%(5,405)
Filipino0.3%(4,961)
Nepalese0.1%(2,941)
Korean0.1%(2,107)
Kazakh0.1%(1,430)
Japanese0.1%(1,275)
Thai0.1%(1,120)
Laotian0%(989)
Bhutanese0%(980)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Taiwanese0%(352)
Cambodian0%(287)
Pakistani0%(245)
Sri Lankan0%(243)
Malaysian0%(229)
Hmong0%(199)
Indonesian0%(107)
Mongolian0%(80)
Uzbek0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(1,348)
Samoan0%(661)
Chamorro0%(549)
Guamanian0%(91)
Tongan0%(27)
Fijian0%(14)
Ancestry
German31%(612,926)
Irish11.7%(231,984)
English9.4%(186,223)
Czech3.6%(70,282)
American3.5%(69,484)
Swedish3.2%(62,571)
Polish2.9%(58,018)
Italian2.4%(47,659)
Danish1.7%(33,693)
Norwegian1.7%(32,857)
French1.7%(32,724)
Scottish1.5%(28,773)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.3%(25,018)
Subsaharan African1.1%(20,871)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(12,833)
Russian0.5%(8,971)
Arab0.4%(8,725)
Welsh0.4%(8,211)
Swiss0.3%(6,142)
British0.3%(5,854)
French Canadian0.2%(4,377)
Greek0.2%(3,909)
Ukrainian0.2%(3,897)
Austrian0.2%(2,990)
Hungarian0.1%(2,760)
Iraqi0.1%(2,638)
West Indian0.1%(2,561)
Canadian0.1%(2,449)
Lithuanian0.1%(2,321)
Lebanese0.1%(2,110)
Croatian0.1%(2,084)
Somali0.1%(2,062)
Finnish0.1%(1,797)
Belgian0.1%(1,730)
Portuguese0.1%(1,657)
Nigerian0.1%(1,589)
Ethiopian0.1%(1,271)
Iranian0.1%(1,111)
Slovak0%(975)
Syrian0%(959)
Serbian0%(812)
Romanian0%(803)
Jamaican0%(803)
Latvian0%(779)
Haitian0%(687)
Brazilian0%(487)
Turkish0%(450)
Egyptian0%(381)
Slovene0%(363)
Armenian0%(352)
Kenyan0%(342)
Australian0%(292)
Jordanian0%(284)
Guyanese0%(239)
Ghanaian0%(223)
Moroccan0%(165)
Bulgarian0%(149)
Israeli0%(51)
Barbadian0%(42)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.6%
+10.8 ptssince 2000
from 23.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.2%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 86.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.3%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.2 min
+61%since 2000
from 11.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
76.1%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 79.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.7%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.0%
+6.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 5.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.6%
−2.5 ptssince 2011
from 71.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.1%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 80.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.2%
+7.1 ptssince 2009
from 34.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
49.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
8.0%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.9%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2012
from 10.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.2%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 11.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.6%
+12.1 ptssince 2017
from 78.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.3%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 91.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 84.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2016
from 89.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2016
from 7.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.9%(275,261)
Married53.5%(422,714)
Widowed2.6%(20,368)
Divorced9%(71,070)
Women 15+
Never married28.5%(225,075)
Married51.8%(409,245)
Widowed8.1%(64,367)
Divorced11.5%(91,167)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.2%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 11.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
58.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 59.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 16.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.7%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 75.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.4%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 28.2% 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)27.3%(28,036)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.5%(26,234)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.9%(33,757)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(5,371)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(762)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 102,710 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
Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in Nebraska →
1.Omaha488,797
2.Lincoln301,522
3.Bellevue64,863
4.Grand Island53,943
5.Kearney34,782
6.Fremont28,350
7.Norfolk26,677
8.Columbus25,248
9.Papillion25,127
10.Hastings25,121
11.North Platte22,524
12.La Vista16,543
13.Scottsbluff14,259
15.Beatrice12,318
16.Lexington11,176
17.Chalco10,595
18.Gretna9,207
19.Gering8,535
20.York8,284
21.Blair7,997
22.Alliance7,914
23.Seward7,892
24.Crete7,747
26.McCook7,157
27.Plattsmouth6,955
28.Schuyler6,800
29.Sidney6,432
30.Ralston6,382
31.Wayne6,338
32.Offutt AFB6,074
33.Holdrege5,555
34.Wahoo5,023
35.Chadron4,975
36.Aurora4,787
37.Ogallala4,698
38.Waverly4,533
39.Falls City3,988
40.Cozad3,924
41.Fairbury3,812
42.Hickman3,663
43.O'Neill3,567
44.Broken Bow3,507
45.Auburn3,498
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (3)
1.Omaha1,009,836
2.Lincoln352,081
3.Grand Island78,076
Micropolitan areas (9)
1.Kearney57,962
2.Norfolk49,228
3.Columbus46,583
4.Hastings40,577
5.Fremont38,057
6.Scottsbluff36,272
7.North Platte33,972
8.Lexington26,255
9.Beatrice21,711

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in Nebraska?

Nebraska has about 1,978,707 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Nebraska?

The typical household in Nebraska earns about $76,475 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Nebraska expensive?

In Nebraska, the median home is worth about $238,600, and the typical rent is about $1,072 a month.

How educated are people in Nebraska?

About 34.6% of adults age 25 and over in Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Nebraska?

About 10.6% of people in Nebraska live below the federal poverty line.

Has Nebraska grown since 1990?

Yes, Nebraska has grown since 1990. The population has added about 400,322 residents, a change of about 25 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

All 93 counties
Douglas CountyLancaster CountySarpy CountyHall CountyBuffalo CountyDodge CountyMadison CountyPlatte CountyScotts Bluff CountyLincoln CountyAdams CountyCass CountyDawson CountySaunders CountyGage CountyDakota CountyWashington CountySeward CountyOtoe CountySaline CountyYork CountyColfax CountyCuster CountyBox Butte CountyRed Willow CountyHolt CountyWayne CountyHamilton CountyCheyenne CountyPhelps CountyCuming CountyButler CountyCedar CountyKnox CountyKeith CountyMerrick CountyDawes CountyRichardson CountyPierce CountyNemaha CountyJefferson CountyKearney CountyThurston CountyBurt CountyHoward CountyAntelope CountyClay CountyStanton CountyDixon CountyCherry CountyFillmore CountyBoone CountyPolk CountyJohnson CountyThayer CountySheridan CountyFurnas CountyMorrill CountyNuckolls CountyValley CountyChase CountyKimball CountyWebster CountyNance CountyHarlan CountySherman CountyPerkins CountyBrown CountyFranklin CountyFrontier CountyPawnee CountyHitchcock CountyGreeley CountyDeuel CountyGarden CountyGosper CountyGarfield CountyBoyd CountyDundy CountyRock CountySioux CountyHayes CountyKeya Paha CountyWheeler CountyBanner CountyHooker CountyLogan CountyThomas CountyLoup CountyGrant CountyBlaine CountyArthur CountyMcPherson County

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →