Grand Island, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Grand Island, 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 average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Grand Island | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,216 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1260.6 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.20% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,215 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Grand Island grew by 9.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 38,216 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Grand Island is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.2 points below Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,227 21.5% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,929 20.7% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,283 19.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,595 14.6% -1.6 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 49.1% of the people living in Grand Island and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.9% Nebraska 50.1%
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Economy
Grand Island has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Grand Island | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,894 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.89% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Grand Island is about 15% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Grand Island | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $232,284 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $910 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.3% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Grand Island is about 21.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $910 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Grand Island spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 107 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Grand Island | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.7 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 107 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,319 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,706 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,127 | 691 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Grand Island 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
Grand Island has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Grand Island | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Grand Island has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Grand Island | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.2% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Grand Island, Nebraska.
How big is Grand Island, Nebraska by population?
About 38,216 people live in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 15,215 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Grand Island, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Grand Island, Nebraska has 1,261 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 15 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Grand Island, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($232,284 against $64,894), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $910 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Grand Island, Nebraska?
19.4% of adults in Grand Island, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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