Howard County, Nebraska
Located in Nebraska, Howard County has a population of 6,534 residents and a median age of 42.2 years, making it the #2,774 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $209,100, and the median household income is $76,767, which is 2% above the national median.
Demographics
Howard County has a population of 6,534, making it the #2,774 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% 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 Howard County is $76,767, ranking #737 out of 3,222 counties — 2.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 4.8% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Howard County is $209,100 (-25.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $777/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Howard County, 26.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.8% below the national average, ranking #1,108 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Howard County is 79.7 years. 13.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.6% of adults in Howard County smoke , 38.1% are obese , and 22.5% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.3 per 100,000.
Families & Children
11.8% of children in Howard County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 9.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Howard County is 72.6%. The mean commute time is 27.4 min, which is 0.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Howard County voted Republican with a margin of 62.7%. The vote was 18.1% Dem / 80.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Howard County, Nebraska
Howard County, Nebraska has a total population of 6,534, making it the 2,774th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Howard County is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Howard County is $76,767, which ranks #737 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 4.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Howard County is $209,100, 25.8% below the national median. Renters in Howard County pay a median gross rent of $777 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Howard County, 26.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.4 min.
Howard County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.2%).
All data for Howard 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.