Harlan County, Nebraska
Located in Nebraska, Harlan County has a population of 2,847 residents and a median age of 47.3 years, making it the #3,043 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.7%. The median home value is $145,800, and the median household income is $70,625, which is 6% below the national median.
Demographics
Harlan County has a population of 2,847, making it the #3,043 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.3 years, which is 21.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Harlan County is $70,625, ranking #1,154 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 6.7% and unemployment stands at 1.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Harlan County is $145,800 (-48.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $657/mo and the homeownership rate is 85.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Harlan County, 29.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 13.4% below the national average, ranking #825 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Harlan County is 76.8 years. 13.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.3% of adults in Harlan County smoke , 36.6% are obese , and 22.2% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
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Families & Children
12.3% of children in Harlan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Harlan County is 75.5%. The mean commute time is 20.4 min, which is 26.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Harlan County voted Republican with a margin of 68.1%. The vote was 15.5% Dem / 83.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.8 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Harlan County, Nebraska
Harlan County, Nebraska has a total population of 2,847, making it the 3,043rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Harlan County is 47.3 years, which is 21.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Harlan County is $70,625, which ranks #1,154 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.3%.
The median home value in Harlan County is $145,800, 48.3% below the national median. Renters in Harlan County pay a median gross rent of $657 per month. The homeownership rate is 85.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Harlan County, 29.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 13.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.4 min.
Harlan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.8%).
All data for Harlan 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.