Seward County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31159 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Seward County has a population of 17,641 residents and a median age of 38.0 years, making it the #2,003 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.4%. The median home value is $241,300, and the median household income is $82,444, which is 10% above the national median.

17,641
Population
#2,003 of 3,222
$82,444
Median Income
+9.7% #494 of 3,222
38.0 years
Median Age
-2.3% #2,584 of 3,222
7.4%
Poverty Rate
-41.4% #259 of 3,222

Demographics

Seward County has a population of 17,641, making it the #2,003 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.0 years, which is 2.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.8%
Native Born
1.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Seward County is $82,444, ranking #494 out of 3,222 counties — 9.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.4% and unemployment stands at 2.1%.

Income#494
$82,444
+9.7%
vs nation
85th percentile
Per Capita#993
$38,704
-6.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poverty#259
7.4%
-41.4%
vs nation
92th percentile
Unemployment#312
2.1%
-59.9%
vs nation
90th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Seward County is $241,300 (-14.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $980/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.0%.

Home Value#969
$241,300
-14.4%
vs nation
70th percentile
Rent#1,064
$980
-15.7%
vs nation
67th percentile
Homeownership#2,014
72.0%
+11.8%
vs nation
38th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Seward County, 33.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 1.6% below the national average, ranking #563 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
33.2% −1.6% vs nation
Rank #563 of 3,222
83th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Seward County is 79.1 years. 11.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#367
79.1
+5.3%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#42
11.6%
-40.7%
vs nation
99th percentile
Diabetes#167
8.0%
-28.1%
vs nation
95th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#47
28.8%
-22.8%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#176
4.6
-17.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#124
3.4
-23.5%
vs nation
96th percentile
Uninsured Rate#722
6.7%
-35.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Physical Inactivity#628
22.0%
-16.6%
vs nation
80th percentile
Food Insecurity#694
11.6%
-19.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Substance Use

12.5% of adults in Seward County smoke , 41.7% are obese , and 23.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#239
12.5%
-30.4%
vs nation
92th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,566
41.7%
+10.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,672
23.1%
+16.3%
vs nation
15th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 11.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#247
11.7
-40.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#521
11.5
-43.1%
vs nation
82th percentile

Families & Children

6.8% of children in Seward County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 6.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#120
6.0
-72.4%
vs nation
96th percentile
Child Poverty#83
6.8%
-64.2%
vs nation
97th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Seward County is 69.8%. The mean commute time is 24.5 min, which is 11.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.5 min −11.3% vs nation
Rank #2,052 of 3,222
36th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Seward County voted Republican with a margin of 46.6%. The vote was 26% Dem / 72.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +46.6%
26% 72.6%
Dem 9,184 votes Rep
2020 REP +44.1%
26.5% 70.6%
Dem 9,199 votes Rep
2016 REP +46.0%
24.3% 70.3%
Dem 7,754 votes Rep
2012 REP +34.7%
31.7% 66.4%
Dem 7,445 votes Rep
2008 REP +25.8%
35.9% 61.7%
Dem 7,529 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Seward County, Nebraska

Seward County, Nebraska has a total population of 17,641, making it the 2,003rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Seward County is 38.0 years, which is 2.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Seward County is $82,444, which ranks #494 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.1%.

The median home value in Seward County is $241,300, 14.4% below the national median. Renters in Seward County pay a median gross rent of $980 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Seward County, 33.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.5 min.

Seward County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).

All data for Seward 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.