Box Butte County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Box Butte County, NE Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 89% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Box Butte County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,714 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9.9 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.64% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,505 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Box Butte County declined by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,714 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Box Butte County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,953 18.2% -4.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,995 18.6% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,271 21.2% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,127 19.9% +3.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Nebraska, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.9% of the people living in Box Butte County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.1% Nebraska 50.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Box Butte County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Box Butte County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Box Butte County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,118 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.80% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.6% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Box Butte County is about 11% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Box Butte County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,220 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $752 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Box Butte County is about 7.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $752 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Box Butte County spend about 16 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 67 hours, about 2.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Box Butte County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 8.0 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 16.0 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 67 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,068 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 673 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 242 | 691 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nebraska:
Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min).
Slowest:
Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).
The average commute time in Box Butte County is 8 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Nebraska.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Box Butte County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Box Butte County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nebraska:
Sarpy County (0.3), Lancaster County (0.3), Douglas County (0.3).
Lowest:
Dakota County (0.2), Colfax County (0.2), Dawson County (0.2).
Health
Box Butte County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Box Butte County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.4% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.8% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nebraska:
Wayne County (0.8), Sarpy County (0.8), Lancaster County (0.8).
Lowest:
Thurston County (0.8), Pawnee County (0.8), Dundy County (0.8).
Box Butte County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Box Butte County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Butte County, NE | 10,714 | $68,118 #1/2 | $65,220 #2/2 | 8.0 min #1/2 |
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | 35,843 | $63,774 | $141,175 | 12.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Box Butte County, Nebraska.
How many people live in Box Butte County, Nebraska?
About 10,714 people live in Box Butte County, Nebraska, in 4,505 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Box Butte County, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Box Butte County, Nebraska has 10 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 11% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Box Butte County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($65,220 against $68,118), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $752 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Box Butte County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Box Butte County, Nebraska is only 1.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Box Butte County, Nebraska?
16.9% of adults in Box Butte County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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