Nebraska Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Nebraska, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Nebraska. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Nebraska. The estimated population of Nebraska is 1,951,480 people, with a median age of 36.7.

We can look at the total population in Nebraska over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
1,951,480
+1.44%
+3.04%
2020
1,923,826
+0.48%
-
2019
1,914,571
+0.52%
-
2018
1,904,760
+0.57%
-
2017
1,893,921
 - -

Population of Nebraska by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
77.7%
79.8%
 -2.63%
Black/African American
4.7%
4.6%
 +2.17%
Native
0.7%
0.7%
 0.00%
Hispanic
11.5%
10.5%
 +9.52%
Asian
2.5%
2.2%
 +13.64%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.8%
2%
 +40.00%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Nebraska by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 36.7 +0.27% 35.9 +0.56% 37.5 -0.27%
2020 36.6 +0.27% 35.7 +0.56% 37.6 +0.27%
2019 36.5 +0.27% 35.5 +0.28% 37.5 +0.27%
2018 36.4 +0.28% 35.4 +0.57% 37.4 -0.27%
2017 36.3 - 35.2 - 37.5 -

The median age of Nebraska gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 135,049 +1.14% 128,536 +0.17% 136,583 128,753
10 to 19 133,218 +6.38% 126,285 +6.01% 141,847 134,029
20 to 29 134,287 -0.61% 127,174 +1.43% 133,445 128,997
30 to 39 126,251 +4.95% 121,981 +4.36% 132,609 127,382
40 to 49 112,135 +3.59% 108,819 +0.42% 116,154 109,246
50 to 59 123,939 -4.86% 124,888 -7.27% 117,969 116,048
60 to 69 98,272 +12.95% 103,464 +10.28% 111,624 114,493
70+ 80,396 +9.89% 109,227 +4.02% 88,632 113,669

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Nebraska is $66,644.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Nebraska.

  • Under 25
    $37,748.00
  • 25 to 44
    $75,033.00
  • 45 to 64
    $81,188.00
  • 65 and over
    $48,639.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Nebraska, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Nebraska, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Nebraska is currently $87,815.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

6.24% of households in Nebraska are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Nebraska against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    15.86%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    21.14%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.73%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.15%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.03%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.85%
  • $200,000 or more
    6.24%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Nebraska is $35,189.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Nebraska by the total population of Nebraska.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Nebraska, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Nebraska to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    13.35%
  • Bachelor's degree
    35.47%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.57%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    36.33%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.27%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Nebraska that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Nebraska over the age of 16 is 1,519,415.

Of those people, a total of 69.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Nebraska is 66.60%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 109,147 52.30% 12.80%
20 to 24 years 134,953 82.90% 5.30%
25 to 29 years 127,489 87.30% 3.40%
30 to 34 years 127,618 86.90% 2.40%
35 to 44 years 247,949 87.80% 2.30%
45 to 54 years 221,511 86.60% 2.50%
55 to 59 years 122,330 80.20% 2.20%
60 to 64 years 122,647 68.10% 2.20%
65 to 74 years 179,998 32.70% 1.60%
75 years and over 125,773 8.90% 2.10%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Nebraska. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 1,299,776 68.80% 2.80%
Black or African American 68,703 69.30% 8.30%
American Indian and Alaska Native 12,067 65.90% 9.70%
Asian 37,806 72.70% 4.40%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 987 67.40% 6.10%
Other 42,100 74.70% 5.30%
Two or more races 57,976 73.10% 4.40%
Hispanic or Latino 144,003 74.00% 4.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 1,227,579 68.50% 2.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Nebraska as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Nebraska is 1,011,989, with median earnings of $40,376.00.

Women in Nebraska earning approximately 70.20% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,011,989 $40,376.00
Male 534,807 $47,280.00
Female 477,182 $33,205.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 112,279 $63,962.00
Business and Financial 54,511 $60,251.00
Computer and Mathematical 32,017 $75,859.00
Architecture and Engineering 14,258 $74,528.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 10,353 $53,528.00
Community and Social Service 18,578 $42,367.00
Legal 8,319 $67,027.00
Educational and Library 69,266 $43,816.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 15,150 $34,237.00
Healthcare Practitioners 62,198 $57,380.00
Healthcare Support 31,513 $25,279.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 8,521 $31,511.00
Law Enforcement 8,037 $58,961.00
Food Preparation and Serving 51,507 $13,087.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 31,613 $22,207.00
Personal Care and Service 28,840 $17,497.00
Sales 92,713 $34,841.00
Office and Administrative Support 117,359 $33,346.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 13,359 $33,497.00
Construction and Extraction 51,183 $40,881.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 35,144 $50,425.00
Production 70,646 $39,681.00
Transportation and Material Moving 38,305 $43,709.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 73,150 $68,674.00 39,129 $55,876.00
Business and Financial 25,370 $68,349.00 29,141 $53,653.00
Computer and Mathematical 23,864 $80,201.00 8,153 $64,659.00
Architecture and Engineering 12,548 $76,665.00 1,710 $58,929.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 6,219 $53,801.00 4,134 $53,091.00
Community and Social Service 6,615 $44,441.00 11,963 $41,256.00
Legal 3,794 $96,932.00 4,525 $52,460.00
Educational and Library 18,364 $53,600.00 50,902 $39,708.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 7,266 $42,128.00 7,884 $27,901.00
Healthcare Practitioners 12,159 $84,054.00 50,039 $54,372.00
Healthcare Support 3,804 $25,119.00 27,709 $25,298.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 6,015 $36,019.00 2,506 $21,490.00
Law Enforcement 6,675 $62,781.00 1,362 $46,188.00
Food Preparation and Serving 21,160 $13,970.00 30,347 $12,555.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 19,016 $28,369.00 12,597 $17,042.00
Personal Care and Service 4,701 $16,495.00 24,139 $17,777.00
Sales 48,734 $49,682.00 43,979 $23,768.00
Office and Administrative Support 29,057 $38,755.00 88,302 $32,252.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 11,290 $35,525.00 2,069 $17,012.00
Construction and Extraction 49,646 $41,109.00 1,537 $32,521.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 34,169 $50,505.00 975 $46,568.00
Production 49,156 $43,623.00 21,490 $31,689.00
Transportation and Material Moving 34,635 $45,714.00 3,670 $25,486.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 766,887 households in Nebraska, with an average household size of 2.48 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 488,268 families in Nebraska with an average family size of 3.1 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 382,843 34,925 70,500 278,619
Average Household Size 3.16 3.16 3.3 1.25
Total Families 382,843 34,925 70,500 0
Average Household Size 3.14 2.75 3.04 0

Poverty

Of the 488,268 families in Nebraska, 6.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Nebraska:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 840,802 housing units in Nebraska.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 766,887 91.21%
Vacant 73,915 8.79%

28.61% of the total 840,802 housing units in Nebraska are rental units. This is approximately 240,524 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 511,993 are occupied by the owner - or 60.89% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Nebraska is $909.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Nebraska that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    14,370
  • Less than $500
    23,617
  • $500 to $999
    122,242
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    70,307
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    17,759
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    3,036
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    846
  • $3,000 or more
    2,717

Property Value

The median value of a property in Nebraska is $174,100.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Nebraska that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    38,304
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    69,985
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    92,817
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    98,946
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    113,547
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    74,498
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    19,844
  • $1,000,000 or more
    4,052

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Nebraska. The chart below shows the number of properties in Nebraska that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    164,101
  • 1940 to 1949
    39,443
  • 1950 to 1959
    78,353
  • 1960 to 1969
    92,043
  • 1970 to 1979
    132,047
  • 1980 to 1989
    79,856
  • 1990 to 1999
    95,299
  • 2000 to 2009
    95,309
  • 2010 to 2013
    62,939
  • 2014 or later
    1,412

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Nebraska that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    38,877
  • 1 vehicle available
    225,679
  • 2 vehicles available
    297,281
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    205,050

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Nebraska get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Nebraska that commute to work in a particular way.

19.1 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Nebraska.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    60,249
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    155,352
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    166,629
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    164,017
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    136,943
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    57,712
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    83,499
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    16,844
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    17,567
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    33,441
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    19,593
  • 90 or more minutes
    12,032

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Nebraska in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Nebraska

We have data for 93 counties in Nebraska. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Nebraska

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Nebraska, click on the links below.