Custer County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31041 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Custer County has a population of 10,518 residents and a median age of 42.1 years, making it the #2,452 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.1%. The median home value is $157,800, and the median household income is $67,906, which is 10% below the national median.

10,518
Population
#2,452 of 3,222
$67,906
Median Income
-9.6% #1,351 of 3,222
42.1 years
Median Age
+8.2% #1,465 of 3,222
7.1%
Poverty Rate
-44.0% #220 of 3,222

Demographics

Custer County has a population of 10,518, making it the #2,452 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Custer County is $67,906, ranking #1,351 out of 3,222 counties — 9.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.1% and unemployment stands at 2.6%.

Income#1,351
$67,906
-9.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Per Capita#1,261
$36,967
-10.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poverty#220
7.1%
-44.0%
vs nation
93th percentile
Unemployment#494
2.6%
-50.7%
vs nation
85th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Custer County is $157,800 (-44.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $853/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.9%.

Home Value#2,077
$157,800
-44.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Rent#1,719
$853
-26.7%
vs nation
47th percentile
Homeownership#2,404
68.9%
+7.1%
vs nation
25th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Custer County, 24.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.0% below the national average, ranking #1,330 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.3% −28.0% vs nation
Rank #1,330 of 3,222
59th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Custer County is 77.9 years. 15.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#652
77.9
+3.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#670
15.5%
-20.8%
vs nation
79th percentile
Diabetes#908
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#576
33.3%
-10.7%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#37
4.3
-23.4%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#410
3.7
-17.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Uninsured Rate#910
7.3%
-30.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,594
26.1%
-1.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,610
14.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
49th percentile

Substance Use

16.4% of adults in Custer County smoke , 38.7% are obese , and 20.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,092
16.4%
-8.7%
vs nation
65th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,671
38.7%
+2.1%
vs nation
47th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,727
20.4%
+2.5%
vs nation
45th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 27.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,208
27.1
+37.4%
vs nation
14th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,029
24.4
+36.8%
vs nation
18th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,435
18.7
-7.7%
vs nation
49th percentile

Families & Children

12.9% of children in Custer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#854
14.6
-33.4%
vs nation
72th percentile
Child Poverty#751
12.9%
-32.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Custer County is 73.9%. The mean commute time is 18.8 min, which is 31.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
18.8 min −31.8% vs nation
Rank #2,931 of 3,222
9th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Custer County voted Republican with a margin of 72.3%. The vote was 13.4% Dem / 85.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +72.3%
13.4% 85.7%
Dem 5,886 votes Rep
2020 REP +71.6%
13.1% 84.7%
Dem 6,010 votes Rep
2016 REP +72.5%
11.6% 84.1%
Dem 5,489 votes Rep
2012 REP +58.8%
19.7% 78.5%
Dem 5,414 votes Rep
2008 REP +55.7%
21.4% 77.1%
Dem 5,578 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Custer County, Nebraska

Custer County, Nebraska has a total population of 10,518, making it the 2,452nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Custer County is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Custer County is $67,906, which ranks #1,351 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.6%.

The median home value in Custer County is $157,800, 44.0% below the national median. Renters in Custer County pay a median gross rent of $853 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Custer County, 24.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 18.8 min.

Custer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).

All data for Custer 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.