Cherry County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31031 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Cherry County has a population of 5,498 residents and a median age of 41.4 years, making it the #2,854 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.3%. The median home value is $152,200, and the median household income is $66,270, which is 12% below the national median.

5,498
Population
#2,854 of 3,222
$66,270
Median Income
-11.8% #1,500 of 3,222
41.4 years
Median Age
+6.4% #1,687 of 3,222
8.3%
Poverty Rate
-34.2% #417 of 3,222

Demographics

Cherry County has a population of 5,498, making it the #2,854 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.9%
Native Born
4.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Cherry County is $66,270, ranking #1,500 out of 3,222 counties — 11.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 8.3% and unemployment stands at 0.4%.

Income#1,500
$66,270
-11.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Per Capita#1,662
$34,567
-16.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poverty#417
8.3%
-34.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Unemployment#45
0.4%
-91.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Cherry County is $152,200 (-46.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $916/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.4%.

Home Value#2,203
$152,200
-46.0%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#1,348
$916
-21.2%
vs nation
58th percentile
Homeownership#2,953
61.4%
-4.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Cherry County, 25.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.9% below the national average, ranking #1,184 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.3% −24.9% vs nation
Rank #1,184 of 3,222
63th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Cherry County is 77.2 years. 18.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#872
77.2
+2.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,443
18.4%
-5.9%
vs nation
54th percentile
Diabetes#1,579
10.8%
-3.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#874
34.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#246
4.8
-15.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#575
3.8
-14.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,115
7.8%
-25.6%
vs nation
65th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,186
28.9%
+9.5%
vs nation
31th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,332
13.5%
-6.3%
vs nation
58th percentile

Substance Use

19.9% of adults in Cherry County smoke , 42.0% are obese , and 21.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,251
19.9%
+10.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,626
42.0%
+10.8%
vs nation
17th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,184
21.4%
+7.9%
vs nation
31th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.1 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,408
30.1
+48.9%
vs nation
15th percentile

Families & Children

16.2% of children in Cherry County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 17.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,231
17.8
-18.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Child Poverty#1,299
16.2%
-14.7%
vs nation
59th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Cherry County is 73.5%. The mean commute time is 15.8 min, which is 42.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
15.8 min −42.7% vs nation
Rank #3,133 of 3,222
3th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Cherry County voted Republican with a margin of 76.2%. The vote was 11.4% Dem / 87.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +76.2%
11.4% 87.6%
Dem 3,069 votes Rep
2020 REP +75.6%
11.4% 87%
Dem 3,269 votes Rep
2016 REP +74.8%
10.3% 85.1%
Dem 3,082 votes Rep
2012 REP +69.5%
14.3% 83.8%
Dem 3,052 votes Rep
2008 REP +57.5%
19.6% 77.1%
Dem 3,059 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Cherry County, Nebraska

Cherry County, Nebraska has a total population of 5,498, making it the 2,854th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cherry County is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Cherry County is $66,270, which ranks #1,500 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.4%.

The median home value in Cherry County is $152,200, 46.0% below the national median. Renters in Cherry County pay a median gross rent of $916 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Cherry County, 25.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 15.8 min.

Cherry County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.8% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).

All data for Cherry 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.