Douglas County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Douglas 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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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 87% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Douglas County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 590,696 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1739.6 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.05% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 238,414 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Douglas County grew by 18.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 590,696 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Douglas County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.2% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 135,915 23.0% +0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 137,260 23.2% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 107,895 18.3% on par
- Boomers 61–79 81,238 13.8% -2.5 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 50.5% of the people living in Douglas County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.5% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Douglas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Douglas County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Douglas County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,916 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.62% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Douglas County is about 6% higher than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Douglas County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $284,147 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,201 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Douglas County is about 19.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,201 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Douglas County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Douglas County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.8 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,757 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.1% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,980 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,479 | 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 Douglas County is 18 minutes, longer 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
Douglas County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Douglas County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.1% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Douglas County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Douglas County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 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).
Douglas County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
Douglas County, NE is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 590,696 residents against a local median of 25,105. Where Douglas County, NE breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 71% above the local median of $166,250 at $284,147.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.4 min against a local median of 24.3 min, 24% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 24% below the local median it puts Douglas County, NE at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $158,166 on median home price, so Douglas County, NE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Douglas County, NE has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, NE | 590,696 | $80,916 #5/5 | $284,147 #1/5 | 18.4 min #1/5 |
| Sarpy County, NE | 197,392 | $103,176 | $224,218 | 20.7 min |
| Washington County, NE | 21,106 | $94,639 | $66,052 | 21.7 min |
| Cass County, NE | 27,161 | $91,453 | $132,500 | 28.0 min |
| Saunders County, NE | 23,048 | $95,507 | $200,000 | 26.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Douglas County, Nebraska.
How many people live in Douglas County, Nebraska?
About 590,696 people live in Douglas County, Nebraska, in 238,414 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Douglas County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Douglas County, Nebraska has 1,740 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 20 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Douglas County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($284,147 against $80,916), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,201 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Douglas County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Douglas County, Nebraska is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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