Perkins County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31135 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Perkins County has a population of 2,821 residents and a median age of 41.2 years, making it the #3,047 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.2%. The median home value is $157,200, and the median household income is $72,778, which is 3% below the national median.

2,821
Population
#3,047 of 3,222
$72,778
Median Income
-3.2% #989 of 3,222
41.2 years
Median Age
+5.9% #1,750 of 3,222
7.2%
Poverty Rate
-43.2% #234 of 3,222

Demographics

Perkins County has a population of 2,821, making it the #3,047 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.1%
Native Born
2.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Perkins County is $72,778, ranking #989 out of 3,222 counties — 3.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.2% and unemployment stands at 1.5%.

Income#989
$72,778
-3.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Per Capita#1,195
$37,437
-9.3%
vs nation
63th percentile
Poverty#234
7.2%
-43.2%
vs nation
93th percentile
Unemployment#172
1.5%
-71.3%
vs nation
95th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Perkins County is $157,200 (-44.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $922/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.7%.

Home Value#2,094
$157,200
-44.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Rent#1,320
$922
-20.7%
vs nation
59th percentile
Homeownership#838
78.7%
+22.2%
vs nation
74th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Perkins County, 25.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 23.4% below the national average, ranking #1,133 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.8% −23.4% vs nation
Rank #1,133 of 3,222
65th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Perkins County is 78.7 years. 16.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#471
78.7
+4.7%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#905
16.4%
-16.2%
vs nation
71th percentile
Diabetes#910
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#538
33.1%
-11.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#102
4.5
-20.4%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#336
3.6
-18.1%
vs nation
89th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,889
10.8%
+3.4%
vs nation
40th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,612
26.2%
-0.7%
vs nation
49th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,012
12.6%
-12.5%
vs nation
68th percentile

Substance Use

17.5% of adults in Perkins County smoke , 39.3% are obese , and 21.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,484
17.5%
-2.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,844
39.3%
+3.7%
vs nation
41th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,298
21.8%
+9.5%
vs nation
27th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

11.6% of children in Perkins County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#537
11.6%
-38.9%
vs nation
83th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Perkins County is 72.0%. The mean commute time is 16.2 min, which is 41.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
16.2 min −41.3% vs nation
Rank #3,111 of 3,222
3th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Perkins County voted Republican with a margin of 72.7%. The vote was 13.1% Dem / 85.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +72.7%
13.1% 85.8%
Dem 1,426 votes Rep
2020 REP +72.6%
12.9% 85.5%
Dem 1,545 votes Rep
2016 REP +73.5%
11.3% 84.8%
Dem 1,418 votes Rep
2012 REP +64.5%
17% 81.5%
Dem 1,391 votes Rep
2008 REP +55.1%
21.8% 76.9%
Dem 1,420 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Perkins County, Nebraska

Perkins County, Nebraska has a total population of 2,821, making it the 3,047th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Perkins County is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Perkins County is $72,778, which ranks #989 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.5%.

The median home value in Perkins County is $157,200, 44.2% below the national median. Renters in Perkins County pay a median gross rent of $922 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Perkins County, 25.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 16.2 min.

Perkins County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).

All data for Perkins 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.