Dawes County, Nebraska Income Statistics
Dawes County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Dawes County Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Dawes County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $55,690 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,298 | $56,814 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.5% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.8% | 11.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.6% | 9.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Dawes County is about 27% lower than in Nebraska. Income has been growing slower in Dawes County (3.5%/yr) than in Nebraska (4.3%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Dawes County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Nebraska average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Dawes County, Nebraska grew by 78.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $55,690 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.5% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Dawes County
| Metric | Dawes County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.532 | 0.515 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $49,099 | $65,618 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,903 | $52,854 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 6.5% | 19.5% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Dawes County, it is 0.532, higher than Nebraska's 0.515, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 7% more than women's income in Dawes County, Nebraska. Over a 35-year career, a 7% wage gap accumulates to roughly $111,860 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Dawes County, Nebraska has widened from about 5% to 7% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 41% in 2015, and was narrowest at 4% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,938 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Dawes County widened by 1.9 points while Nebraska's narrowed by 3.1 points.
Employment
| Metric | Dawes County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 1.6% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 7.7% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 8 | 16 | 22 |
Approximately 71 people are unemployed in Dawes County, Nebraska.
The average commute time in Dawes County is 8 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Nebraska.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Dawes County, Nebraska has fallen from 5.6% to 1.6% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 5.6% in 2012 and fell as low as 1.0% in 2017.
Dawes County, NE Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Dawes County, NE is typical in size for this group, 8,140 residents against a local median of 7,258, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Dawes County, NE's income growth, at 3.5%/yr, runs 19% below the 4.3%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 1.6% against a local median of 2.0%, 16% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Dawes County, NE is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 3.0%/yr on income growth, so Dawes County, NE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dawes County, NE has the 4th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawes County, NE | 8,140 | $55,690 #5/6 | 3.5%/yr #4/6 | 1.6% #2/6 | 0.532 #3/6 |
| Box Butte County, NE | 10,714 | $68,118 | 2.8%/yr | 1.6% | 0.501 |
| Fall River County, SD | 7,258 | $70,318 | 5.7%/yr | 2.5% | 0.490 |
| Sioux County, NE | 1,171 | $56,404 | 2.7%/yr | 1.8% | 0.544 |
| Sheridan County, NE | 5,014 | $60,220 | 4.3%/yr | 2.0% | 0.539 |
| Oglala Lakota County, SD | 13,491 | $40,506 | 5.5%/yr | 15.9% | 0.742 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dawes County, Nebraska has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Nebraska, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Dawes County, Nebraska.
How Rich Is Dawes County, Nebraska?
Dawes County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $55,690, about 27% lower than the Nebraska average of $76,615.
How has median household income changed in Dawes County, Nebraska?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Dawes County, Nebraska rose 79%, from $31,149 to $55,690. Over the same years, income here outpaced Nebraska as a whole: +79% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Dawes County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Dawes County, Nebraska was $55,296, down 1% from $55,599 in 2022. The Nebraska median that year was $74,986.
What was the median household income in Dawes County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Dawes County, Nebraska was $49,359. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $55,690.
Is it hard to find a job in Dawes County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Dawes County, Nebraska is only 1.6%, well below the Nebraska rate of 3.0%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Dawes County, Nebraska?
The Gini coefficient in Dawes County is 0.532. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Dawes County, Nebraska?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Dawes County, Nebraska has widened from about 5% to 7% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 41% in 2015, and was narrowest at 4% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,938 since 2009.
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