Phelps County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31137 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Phelps County has a population of 9,009 residents and a median age of 41.4 years, making it the #2,561 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.2%. The median home value is $194,900, and the median household income is $68,919, which is 8% below the national median.

9,009
Population
#2,561 of 3,222
$68,919
Median Income
-8.3% #1,271 of 3,222
41.4 years
Median Age
+6.4% #1,688 of 3,222
12.2%
Poverty Rate
-2.8% #1,335 of 3,222

Demographics

Phelps County has a population of 9,009, making it the #2,561 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

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Phelps County is $68,919, ranking #1,271 out of 3,222 counties — 8.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.2% and unemployment stands at 1.2%.

Income#1,271
$68,919
-8.3%
vs nation
61th percentile
Per Capita#386
$45,448
+10.1%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poverty#1,335
12.2%
-2.8%
vs nation
59th percentile
Unemployment#119
1.2%
-77.4%
vs nation
96th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Phelps County is $194,900 (-30.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $815/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.3%.

Home Value#1,458
$194,900
-30.9%
vs nation
55th percentile
Rent#1,997
$815
-29.9%
vs nation
38th percentile
Homeownership#2,460
68.3%
+6.1%
vs nation
24th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Phelps County, 29.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 11.2% below the national average, ranking #770 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
29.9% −11.2% vs nation
Rank #770 of 3,222
76th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Phelps County is 78.6 years. 13.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#494
78.6
+4.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#267
13.7%
-30.0%
vs nation
92th percentile
Diabetes#373
8.7%
-21.8%
vs nation
88th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#516
33.0%
-11.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#170
4.6
-18.1%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#350
3.7
-17.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Uninsured Rate#958
7.4%
-29.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,006
23.7%
-10.2%
vs nation
68th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,941
15.3%
+6.2%
vs nation
38th percentile

Substance Use

15.0% of adults in Phelps County smoke , 43.2% are obese , and 22.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#651
15.0%
-16.5%
vs nation
79th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,839
43.2%
+14.0%
vs nation
10th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,532
22.6%
+13.5%
vs nation
20th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 21.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,764
21.6
+9.3%
vs nation
31th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,865
22.2
+24.4%
vs nation
24th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,112
25.3
+24.8%
vs nation
25th percentile

Families & Children

10.2% of children in Phelps County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,119
16.8
-23.1%
vs nation
63th percentile
Child Poverty#356
10.2%
-46.3%
vs nation
89th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Phelps County is 74.5%. The mean commute time is 16.1 min, which is 41.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
74.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
16.1 min −41.8% vs nation
Rank #3,120 of 3,222
3th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Phelps County voted Republican with a margin of 68.4%. The vote was 15.3% Dem / 83.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +68.4%
15.3% 83.7%
Dem 4,965 votes Rep
2020 REP +67.8%
15% 82.8%
Dem 5,021 votes Rep
2016 REP +70.7%
12.4% 83.1%
Dem 4,609 votes Rep
2012 REP +57.6%
20.2% 77.8%
Dem 4,336 votes Rep
2008 REP +51.6%
23.5% 75.1%
Dem 4,473 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Phelps County, Nebraska

Phelps County, Nebraska has a total population of 9,009, making it the 2,561st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Phelps County is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Phelps County is $68,919, which ranks #1,271 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.2%.

The median home value in Phelps County is $194,900, 30.9% below the national median. Renters in Phelps County pay a median gross rent of $815 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Phelps County, 29.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 11.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 16.1 min.

Phelps County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).

All data for Phelps 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.