Nebraska

NE · 93 counties Republican

With a population of 1,978,707, Nebraska is the #38 most populous state in the U.S., spanning 93 counties. The median age of residents is 37.2 years. Households earn a median income of $76,475, 2% above the national median, with a poverty rate of 10.6% and a median home value of $238,600.

1,978,707
Population
#38 of 52
$76,475
Median Income
+1.8% #29 of 52
37.2 years
Median Age
-4.4% #46 of 52
10.6%
Poverty Rate
-15.9% #18 of 52

Demographics

Nebraska has a population of 1,978,707, making it the #38 most populous state. The median age is 37.2 years.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.0%
Native Born
8.0%
Foreign Born

Language at Home

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Nebraska is $76,475, ranking #29 among all states. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 3.0%.

Income#29
$76,475
+1.8%
vs nation
45th percentile
Per Capita#27
$41,751
+1.2%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poverty#18
10.6%
-15.9%
vs nation
67th percentile
Unemployment#3
3.0%
-43.1%
vs nation
96th percentile
Education#26
34.6%
+2.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Commute#47
21.2 min
-23.2%
vs nation
10th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Nebraska is $238,600. Renters pay a median of $1,072/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.5%.

Home Value#38
$238,600
-15.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Rent#35
$1,072
-7.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Homeownership#35
66.5%
+3.3%
vs nation
33th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Nebraska, 34.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.6% above the national average, ranking #26 out of 52 states.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.6% +2.6% vs nation
Rank #26 of 52
51th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Nebraska is 78.1 years. 15.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. 92.8% of residents have health insurance coverage (ACS). Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Health Insurance Coverage
92.8% +1.2% vs nation
Rank #27 of 52
49th percentile
Life Expectancy#13
78.1
+4.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#14
15.2%
-22.2%
vs nation
74th percentile
Diabetes#23
9.8%
-11.5%
vs nation
56th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#6
32.1%
-13.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#4
4.7
-17.6%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#7
3.6
-18.1%
vs nation
88th percentile
Uninsured Rate#24
7.7%
-26.6%
vs nation
54th percentile
Physical Inactivity#35
24.6%
-6.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Food Insecurity#34
13.2%
-8.5%
vs nation
34th percentile

Substance Use

14.7% of adults in Nebraska smoke , 37.5% are obese , and 21.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 13.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#22
14.7%
-18.4%
vs nation
58th percentile
Adult Obesity#38
37.5%
-1.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Excessive Drinking#37
21.3%
+7.2%
vs nation
28th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2
13.9
-57.1%
vs nation
98th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Nebraska is 4.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#17
4.0
-50.4%
vs nation
68th percentile
Suicide Rate#20
14.9
-24.5%
vs nation
61th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#10
10.6
-41.0%
vs nation
82th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#25
11.8
-41.7%
vs nation
52th percentile

Families & Children

11.1% of children in Nebraska live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.5 per 1,000 females age 15-19.

Infant Mortality#26
5.9
-13.4%
vs nation
49th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#26
15.5
-28.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Child Poverty#7
11.1%
-41.7%
vs nation
88th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Nebraska is 69.3%. The mean commute time is 21.2 min, which is 23.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.2 min −23.2% vs nation
Rank #47 of 52
10th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Nebraska voted Republican with a margin of 20.5%. The vote was 39.1% Dem / 59.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +20.5%
39.1% 59.6%
Dem 947,159 votes Rep
2020 REP +19.0%
39.2% 58.2%
Dem 956,379 votes Rep
2016 REP +26.3%
34% 60.3%
Dem 805,638 votes Rep
2012 REP +22.7%
37.8% 60.5%
Dem 765,083 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.9%
41.6% 56.5%
Dem 801,281 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

Counties in Nebraska

Nebraska has 93 counties. The highest median income county is Sarpy County at $103,321.

Highest Income Counties

1 Sarpy County $103,321
2 Washington County $94,396
3 Saunders County $94,066
4 Cass County $91,836
5 Hamilton County $83,994
6 Colfax County $82,530
7 Seward County $82,444
8 Otoe County $82,188
9 Stanton County $80,687
10 Douglas County $80,391

Lowest Income Counties

93 Garden County $41,882
92 Hooker County $49,464
91 Hitchcock County $51,567
90 Sioux County $53,929
89 Brown County $54,676
88 Dawes County $56,280
87 Kimball County $56,712
86 Johnson County $57,632
85 Rock County $58,125
84 Morrill County $58,500

About Nebraska

All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates. Values are estimates and subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.