Valley County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31175 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Valley County has a population of 4,066 residents and a median age of 46.1 years, making it the #2,957 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.3%. The median home value is $154,600, and the median household income is $61,852, which is 18% below the national median.

4,066
Population
#2,957 of 3,222
$61,852
Median Income
-17.7% #1,910 of 3,222
46.1 years
Median Age
+18.5% #582 of 3,222
9.3%
Poverty Rate
-26.1% #648 of 3,222

Demographics

Valley County has a population of 4,066, making it the #2,957 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.1 years, which is 18.5% 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 Valley County is $61,852, ranking #1,910 out of 3,222 counties — 17.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.3% and unemployment stands at 0.2%.

Income#1,910
$61,852
-17.7%
vs nation
41th percentile
Per Capita#868
$39,614
-4.0%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poverty#648
9.3%
-26.1%
vs nation
80th percentile
Unemployment#29
0.2%
-95.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Valley County is $154,600 (-45.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $626/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.8%.

Home Value#2,162
$154,600
-45.2%
vs nation
33th percentile
Rent#3,000
$626
-46.2%
vs nation
7th percentile
Homeownership#1,747
73.8%
+14.6%
vs nation
46th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Valley County, 25.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.8% below the national average, ranking #1,183 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.3% −24.8% vs nation
Rank #1,183 of 3,222
63th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Valley County is 78.1 years. 13.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#619
78.1
+3.9%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#316
13.9%
-28.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Diabetes#586
9.1%
-18.3%
vs nation
81th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#224
31.1%
-16.6%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#126
4.5
-19.7%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#504
3.8
-15.4%
vs nation
84th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,561
9.3%
-10.7%
vs nation
50th percentile
Physical Inactivity#937
23.4%
-11.3%
vs nation
70th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,300
13.4%
-7.0%
vs nation
59th percentile

Substance Use

14.4% of adults in Valley County smoke , 40.2% are obese , and 23.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#524
14.4%
-19.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,125
40.2%
+6.0%
vs nation
32th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,754
23.5%
+18.1%
vs nation
12th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

15.9% of children in Valley County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#603
12.0
-45.2%
vs nation
80th percentile
Child Poverty#1,250
15.9%
-16.3%
vs nation
60th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Valley County is 73.5%. The mean commute time is 19.7 min, which is 28.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
19.7 min −28.6% vs nation
Rank #2,856 of 3,222
11th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Valley County voted Republican with a margin of 63.9%. The vote was 17.5% Dem / 81.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.9%
17.5% 81.4%
Dem 2,299 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.5%
17.6% 81.1%
Dem 2,344 votes Rep
2016 REP +66.0%
15.5% 81.5%
Dem 2,172 votes Rep
2012 REP +53.0%
22.8% 75.8%
Dem 2,168 votes Rep
2008 REP +39.3%
29.1% 68.4%
Dem 2,423 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Valley County, Nebraska

Valley County, Nebraska has a total population of 4,066, making it the 2,957th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Valley County is 46.1 years, which is 18.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Valley County is $61,852, which ranks #1,910 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.2%.

The median home value in Valley County is $154,600, 45.2% below the national median. Renters in Valley County pay a median gross rent of $626 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Valley County, 25.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.7 min.

Valley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).

All data for Valley 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.