Brown County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31017 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Brown County has a population of 2,869 residents and a median age of 45.7 years, making it the #3,041 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.4%. The median home value is $113,900, and the median household income is $54,676, which is 27% below the national median.

2,869
Population
#3,041 of 3,222
$54,676
Median Income
-27.2% #2,494 of 3,222
45.7 years
Median Age
+17.5% #641 of 3,222
13.4%
Poverty Rate
+6.3% #1,620 of 3,222

Demographics

Brown County has a population of 2,869, making it the #3,041 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.7 years, which is 17.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.7%
Native Born
3.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Brown County is $54,676, ranking #2,494 out of 3,222 counties — 27.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.4% and unemployment stands at 1.7%.

Income#2,494
$54,676
-27.2%
vs nation
23th percentile
Per Capita#1,444
$35,877
-13.0%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poverty#1,620
13.4%
+6.3%
vs nation
50th percentile
Unemployment#217
1.7%
-67.3%
vs nation
93th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Brown County is $113,900 (-59.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $876/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.2%.

Home Value#2,784
$113,900
-59.6%
vs nation
13th percentile
Rent#1,574
$876
-24.7%
vs nation
51th percentile
Homeownership#1,672
74.2%
+15.2%
vs nation
48th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Brown County, 24.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.7% below the national average, ranking #1,364 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.0% −28.7% vs nation
Rank #1,364 of 3,222
58th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Brown County is 75.6 years. 15.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,409
75.6
+0.6%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#538
15.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Diabetes#766
9.4%
-15.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#535
33.1%
-11.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#250
4.8
-15.6%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#574
3.8
-14.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,698
10.0%
-4.5%
vs nation
46th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,409
25.3%
-4.1%
vs nation
55th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,365
13.6%
-5.6%
vs nation
57th percentile

Substance Use

14.8% of adults in Brown County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 22.0% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#602
14.8%
-17.6%
vs nation
81th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,253
40.6%
+7.1%
vs nation
28th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,375
22.0%
+10.7%
vs nation
25th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

14.7% of children in Brown County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#960
15.4
-29.7%
vs nation
68th percentile
Child Poverty#1,062
14.7%
-22.6%
vs nation
66th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Brown County is 76.2%. The mean commute time is 13.1 min, which is 52.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
76.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
13.1 min −52.5% vs nation
Rank #3,193 of 3,222
1th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Brown County voted Republican with a margin of 74.8%. The vote was 12.2% Dem / 87% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.2 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +74.8%
12.2% 87%
Dem 1,642 votes Rep
2020 REP +76.0%
11.3% 87.3%
Dem 1,684 votes Rep
2016 REP +77.7%
9.7% 87.4%
Dem 1,579 votes Rep
2012 REP +69.6%
14.4% 84%
Dem 1,545 votes Rep
2008 REP +57.3%
19.8% 77.1%
Dem 1,567 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Brown County, Nebraska

Brown County, Nebraska has a total population of 2,869, making it the 3,041st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Brown County is 45.7 years, which is 17.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Brown County is $54,676, which ranks #2,494 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.7%.

The median home value in Brown County is $113,900, 59.6% below the national median. Renters in Brown County pay a median gross rent of $876 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Brown County, 24.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 13.1 min.

Brown County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).

All data for Brown County, Nebraska comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.