Wheeler County, Nebraska

NE · FIPS 31183 Republican

Located in Nebraska, Wheeler County has a population of 847 residents and a median age of 54.3 years, making it the #3,194 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.2%. The median home value is $146,500, and the median household income is $70,250, which is 7% below the national median.

847
Population
#3,194 of 3,222
$70,250
Median Income
-6.5% #1,183 of 3,222
54.3 years
Median Age
+39.6% #77 of 3,222
5.2%
Poverty Rate
-58.8% #58 of 3,222

Demographics

Wheeler County has a population of 847, making it the #3,194 most populous county in the US. The median age is 54.3 years, which is 39.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.9%
Native Born
3.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wheeler County is $70,250, ranking #1,183 out of 3,222 counties — 6.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 5.2% and unemployment stands at 2.3%.

Income#1,183
$70,250
-6.5%
vs nation
63th percentile
Per Capita#491
$43,809
+6.2%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poverty#58
5.2%
-58.8%
vs nation
98th percentile
Unemployment#380
2.3%
-56.4%
vs nation
88th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wheeler County is $146,500 (-48.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $509/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.7%.

Home Value#2,306
$146,500
-48.0%
vs nation
28th percentile
Rent#3,162
$509
-56.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Homeownership#1,006
77.7%
+20.7%
vs nation
69th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wheeler County, 30.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 10.0% below the national average, ranking #740 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.3% −10.0% vs nation
Rank #740 of 3,222
77th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

14.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Poor/Fair Health#447
14.6%
-25.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Diabetes#771
9.4%
-15.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#383
32.2%
-13.7%
vs nation
88th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#103
4.5
-20.4%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#305
3.6
-19.0%
vs nation
90th percentile
Uninsured Rate#283
5.4%
-48.1%
vs nation
91th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,486
25.6%
-3.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,550
14.1%
-2.1%
vs nation
51th percentile

Substance Use

16.7% of adults in Wheeler County smoke , 38.6% are obese , and 22.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,191
16.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,636
38.6%
+1.8%
vs nation
48th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,407
22.1%
+11.2%
vs nation
23th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

18.8% of children in Wheeler County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#1,735
18.8%
-1.0%
vs nation
45th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wheeler County is 84.4%. The mean commute time is 20.5 min, which is 25.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
84.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.5 min −25.7% vs nation
Rank #2,765 of 3,222
14th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wheeler County voted Republican with a margin of 75.5%. The vote was 11.7% Dem / 87.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +75.5%
11.7% 87.2%
Dem 486 votes Rep
2020 REP +75.4%
11.7% 87.1%
Dem 503 votes Rep
2016 REP +68.6%
13.5% 82.1%
Dem 459 votes Rep
2012 REP +56.5%
20.9% 77.4%
Dem 446 votes Rep
2008 REP +54.1%
21.8% 75.9%
Dem 440 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wheeler County, Nebraska

Wheeler County, Nebraska has a total population of 847, making it the 3,194th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wheeler County is 54.3 years, which is 39.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wheeler County is $70,250, which ranks #1,183 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.3%.

The median home value in Wheeler County is $146,500, 48.0% below the national median. Renters in Wheeler County pay a median gross rent of $509 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wheeler County, 30.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.5 min.

Wheeler County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).

All data for Wheeler 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.