Thayer County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31169 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Thayer County has a population of 4,901 residents and a median age of 46.0 years, making it the #2,906 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.0%. The median home value is $122,800, and the median household income is $66,213, which is 12% below the national median.

4,901
Population
#2,906 of 3,222
$66,213
Median Income
-11.9% #1,508 of 3,222
46.0 years
Median Age
+18.3% #601 of 3,222
9.0%
Poverty Rate
-28.5% #575 of 3,222

Demographics

Thayer County has a population of 4,901, making it the #2,906 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.0 years, which is 18.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.0%
Native Born
1.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Thayer County is $66,213, ranking #1,508 out of 3,222 counties — 11.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.0% and unemployment stands at 2.0%.

Income#1,508
$66,213
-11.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Per Capita#1,495
$35,611
-13.7%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poverty#575
9.0%
-28.5%
vs nation
82th percentile
Unemployment#281
2.0%
-62.4%
vs nation
91th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Thayer County is $122,800 (-56.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $766/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.5%.

Home Value#2,611
$122,800
-56.4%
vs nation
19th percentile
Rent#2,366
$766
-34.1%
vs nation
26th percentile
Homeownership#1,044
77.5%
+20.4%
vs nation
68th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Thayer County, 23.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 29.3% below the national average, ranking #1,393 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.8% −29.3% vs nation
Rank #1,393 of 3,222
57th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Thayer County is 77.1 years. 16.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#889
77.1
+2.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#882
16.3%
-16.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Diabetes#1,325
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#194
30.9%
-17.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#261
4.8
-15.3%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#607
3.8
-13.9%
vs nation
81th percentile
Uninsured Rate#933
7.3%
-30.3%
vs nation
70th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,576
26.0%
-1.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,014
12.6%
-12.5%
vs nation
68th percentile

Substance Use

16.7% of adults in Thayer County smoke , 40.2% are obese , and 22.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,190
16.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,124
40.2%
+6.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,470
22.4%
+12.5%
vs nation
21th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.7 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,323
28.7
+41.6%
vs nation
18th percentile

Families & Children

12.0% of children in Thayer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#661
12.6
-42.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Child Poverty#592
12.0%
-36.8%
vs nation
81th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Thayer County is 77.3%. The mean commute time is 19.0 min, which is 31.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
19.0 min −31.2% vs nation
Rank #2,918 of 3,222
9th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Thayer County voted Republican with a margin of 60.8%. The vote was 19.1% Dem / 79.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +60.8%
19.1% 79.9%
Dem 2,852 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.3%
20.9% 77.2%
Dem 2,989 votes Rep
2016 REP +57.5%
18.8% 76.3%
Dem 2,613 votes Rep
2012 REP +42.9%
27.6% 70.5%
Dem 2,627 votes Rep
2008 REP +33.5%
32.3% 65.8%
Dem 2,659 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Thayer County, Nebraska

Thayer County, Nebraska has a total population of 4,901, making it the 2,906th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Thayer County is 46.0 years, which is 18.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Thayer County is $66,213, which ranks #1,508 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.0%.

The median home value in Thayer County is $122,800, 56.4% below the national median. Renters in Thayer County pay a median gross rent of $766 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Thayer County, 23.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.0 min.

Thayer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).

All data for Thayer 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.