Dakota County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dakota 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 averageLess healthy than 94% of counties in Nebraska
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,354 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 79.8 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.41% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.1 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,459 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dakota County grew by 5.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,354 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dakota County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.8% of residents. That is about the same share as Nebraska.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,859 22.8% on par
- Millennials 29–44 4,540 21.3% +0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,996 18.7% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,730 12.8% -3.5 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 50.4% of the people living in Dakota County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.6% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dakota County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dakota County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,667 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.86% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dakota County is about 8% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $7,777 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,069 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dakota County is about 0.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,069 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dakota County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 109 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.1 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.1 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 109 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,377 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,329 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,064 | 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 Dakota County is 13 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
Dakota County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.84 | 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
Dakota County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Dakota County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 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).
Dakota County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Dakota County, NE compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota County, NE | 21,354 | $70,667 #3/3 | $7,777 #3/3 | 13.1 min #1/3 |
| Plymouth County, IA | 25,747 | $83,321 | $28,068 | 16.0 min |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | $73,309 | $94,303 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dakota County, Nebraska.
How many people live in Dakota County, Nebraska?
About 21,354 people live in Dakota County, Nebraska, in 7,459 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 30.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Dakota County, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dakota County, Nebraska has 80 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Dakota County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($7,777 against $70,667), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,069 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Dakota County, Nebraska?
13.8% of adults in Dakota County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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