Harlan County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harlan 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.
-
B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Harlan County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,847 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.0 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.41% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.7 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,197 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harlan County declined by 15.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,847 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harlan County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.4% of residents. That is 9.1 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 439 15.4% -7.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 429 15.1% -5.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 617 21.7% +3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 722 25.4% +9.1 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 48.4% of the people living in Harlan County and men 51.6%.
- Women 48.4% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 51.6% Nebraska 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Harlan County
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Economy
Harlan County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Harlan County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,654 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.79% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harlan County is about 9% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Harlan County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $119,642 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $657 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.8% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harlan County is about 15.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $657 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harlan County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 103 hours, about 4.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harlan County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.8 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 103 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,197 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,205 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 143 | 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 Harlan County is 12 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
Harlan County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Harlan County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.9% | 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
Harlan County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Harlan County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harlan County, Nebraska.
How big is Harlan County, Nebraska by population?
About 2,847 people live in Harlan County, Nebraska, in 1,197 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 45.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Harlan County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Harlan County, Nebraska has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Harlan County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($119,642 against $69,654), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $657 a month takes about 11% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Harlan County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Harlan County, Nebraska is only 1.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Harlan County, Nebraska?
22.9% of adults in Harlan County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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