Buffalo County, Nebraska Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Buffalo County, 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 Buffalo County, Nebraska. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Buffalo County, Nebraska. The estimated population of Buffalo County, Nebraska is 49,840 people, with a median age of 34.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
49,840
+0.5%
+2.06%
2020
49,594
+0.78%
-
2019
49,209
+0.37%
-
2018
49,030
+0.4%
-
2017
48,834
 - -

Population of Buffalo County, 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
85.7%
87.4%
 -1.95%
Black/African American
0.7%
1.1%
 -36.36%
Native
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%
Hispanic
9.5%
8.7%
 +9.20%
Asian
1.4%
1.3%
 +7.69%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.2%
1.4%
 +57.14%
Other
0.1%
0%
 0.00%

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 Buffalo County, 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 34 +0.59% 33.1 +0.91% 34.8 -0.29%
2020 33.8 +0.9% 32.8 0% 34.9 +1.75%
2019 33.5 +0.6% 32.8 +0.61% 34.3 +0.29%
2018 33.3 +1.22% 32.6 +1.24% 34.2 +0.59%
2017 32.9 - 32.2 - 34 -

The median age of Buffalo County, 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 3,359 -1.13% 3,320 -8.22% 3,319 3,053
10 to 19 3,546 +10.28% 3,146 +15.39% 3,925 3,601
20 to 29 4,523 -8.22% 4,497 -4.02% 4,159 4,260
30 to 39 3,305 +4.95% 3,158 -2.18% 3,464 3,084
40 to 49 2,711 +0.53% 2,381 +10.67% 2,725 2,643
50 to 59 2,646 +0.38% 2,954 -9.09% 2,650 2,692
60 to 69 2,445 +6.12% 2,379 +13.48% 2,597 2,715
70+ 1,832 +16.15% 2,632 +6.89% 2,145 2,808

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Buffalo County, Nebraska is $65,810.00.

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 Buffalo County.

  • Under 25
    $33,720.00
  • 25 to 44
    $73,416.00
  • 45 to 64
    $79,082.00
  • 65 and over
    $45,882.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Buffalo County, 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 Buffalo County, Nebraska is currently $81,246.00.

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.

3.91% of households in Buffalo County 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 Buffalo County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.64%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    19.85%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    18.14%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.32%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.28%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.86%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.91%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Buffalo County is $32,616.00.

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

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

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Buffalo County 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
    12.58%
  • Bachelor's degree
    37.65%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.27%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    35.63%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.86%

Employment

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

The total population of Buffalo County over the age of 16 is 39,464.

Of those people, a total of 71.80% 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 Buffalo County is 69.60%.

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 3,522 55.60% 9.80%
20 to 24 years 5,138 85.40% 1.80%
25 to 29 years 3,281 92.40% 3.50%
30 to 34 years 3,196 88.80% 2.90%
35 to 44 years 6,199 90.40% 2.30%
45 to 54 years 5,165 86.40% 0.80%
55 to 59 years 2,698 83.90% 1.70%
60 to 64 years 2,897 73.40% 2.70%
65 to 74 years 4,341 32.40% 2.60%
75 years and over 3,027 8.30% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Buffalo County. 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 35,825 71.40% 2.50%
Black or African American 383 81.70% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 109 65.10% 2.80%
Asian 668 71.40% 4.60%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 1,424 80.00% 3.60%
Two or more races 1,055 70.40% 8.30%
Hispanic or Latino 3,145 74.80% 4.70%
Not Hispanic or Latino 34,530 71.40% 2.50%

Occupations

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

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Buffalo County is 27,469, with median earnings of $36,213.00.

Women in Buffalo County, Nebraska earning approximately 68.50% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 27,469 $36,213.00
Male 14,254 $44,965.00
Female 13,215 $30,783.00

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 2,774 $57,405.00
Business and Financial 754 $52,045.00
Computer and Mathematical 553 $59,242.00
Architecture and Engineering 413 $92,566.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 306 $54,063.00
Community and Social Service 466 $49,871.00
Legal 129 $81,875.00
Educational and Library 1,819 $47,004.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 335 $42,639.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,777 $51,690.00
Healthcare Support 1,065 $22,402.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 142 $17,407.00
Law Enforcement 167 $53,785.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,669 $9,097.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 713 $21,896.00
Personal Care and Service 830 $14,667.00
Sales 3,485 $36,114.00
Office and Administrative Support 3,307 $31,435.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 431 $14,583.00
Construction and Extraction 1,036 $38,850.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 1,014 $45,517.00
Production 2,080 $38,608.00
Transportation and Material Moving 943 $35,625.00

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 2,026 $65,000.00 748 $49,333.00
Business and Financial 293 $61,375.00 461 $47,768.00
Computer and Mathematical 491 $59,707.00 62 $57,679.00
Architecture and Engineering 393 $92,566.00 20 $70,000.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 190 $54,063.00 116 $52,500.00
Community and Social Service 206 $62,917.00 260 $48,939.00
Legal 34 $84,265.00 95 $63,304.00
Educational and Library 361 $62,063.00 1,458 $43,150.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 163 $60,417.00 172 $33,300.00
Healthcare Practitioners 394 $75,156.00 1,383 $46,776.00
Healthcare Support 82 $30,313.00 983 $22,295.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 57 $32,768.00 85 $15,046.00
Law Enforcement 137 $54,760.00 30 $46,875.00
Food Preparation and Serving 835 $9,732.00 834 $8,937.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 490 $23,000.00 223 $17,679.00
Personal Care and Service 81 $10,650.00 749 $15,308.00
Sales 1,989 $47,196.00 1,496 $30,297.00
Office and Administrative Support 729 $42,750.00 2,578 $29,436.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 290 $32,870.00 141 $9,073.00
Construction and Extraction 1,019 $38,925.00 17 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 1,007 $45,216.00 7 $0.00
Production 1,383 $40,710.00 697 $32,563.00
Transportation and Material Moving 804 $39,947.00 139 $26,150.00

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 19,236 households in Buffalo County, 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 11,913 families in Buffalo County with an average family size of 3.05 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 9,467 641 1,805 7,323
Average Household Size 3.1 3.56 3.32 1.38
Total Families 9,467 641 1,805 0
Average Household Size 3.08 2.78 3.03 0

Poverty

Of the 11,913 families in Buffalo County, 6.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Buffalo County:

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 20,844 housing units in Buffalo County, Nebraska.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 19,236 92.29%
Vacant 1,608 7.71%

29.67% of the total 20,844 housing units in Buffalo County are rental units. This is approximately 6,185 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 12,685 are occupied by the owner - or 60.86% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Buffalo County is $842.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Buffalo County 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
    366
  • Less than $500
    715
  • $500 to $999
    3,622
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    1,352
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    457
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    5
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    34

Property Value

The median value of a property in Buffalo County is $191,200.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    1,059
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,175
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,752
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2,842
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    3,263
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    2,076
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    430
  • $1,000,000 or more
    88

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    3,260
  • 1940 to 1949
    788
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,301
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,728
  • 1970 to 1979
    3,939
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,500
  • 1990 to 1999
    3,209
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,538
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,570
  • 2014 or later
    11

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 Buffalo County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    837
  • 1 vehicle available
    5,534
  • 2 vehicles available
    7,184
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    5,681

Commuting to Work

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

16.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Buffalo County.

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
    1,917
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    6,636
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    7,739
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    3,235
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,429
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    853
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,255
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    203
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    386
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,360
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    560
  • 90 or more minutes
    400

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Buffalo County, 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.

Places in Buffalo County, Nebraska

We have data for 12 places in Buffalo County, Nebraska. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.