Hayes County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hayes 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 87% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 72% of counties in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 88% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hayes County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 843 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.2 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.22% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.3 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 377 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hayes County declined by 19.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 843 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hayes County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.4% of residents. That is 7.1 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 137 16.3% -6.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 124 14.7% -6.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 189 22.5% +4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 197 23.4% +7.1 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 48.3% of the people living in Hayes County and men 51.7%.
- Women 48.3% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 51.7% Nebraska 50.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hayes County
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Economy
Hayes County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Hayes County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,940 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.80% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hayes County is about 17% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Hayes County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | — | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $508 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.9% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hayes County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hayes County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.1 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,314 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 660 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 252 | 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 Hayes County is 21 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
Hayes County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hayes County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Hayes County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hayes County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 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).
Hayes County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Hayes County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayes County, NE | 843 | $63,940 #2/2 | — | 20.6 min #2/2 |
| Lincoln County, NE | 33,802 | $65,832 | $231,249 | 12.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hayes County, Nebraska.
What is the population of Hayes County, Nebraska?
About 843 people live in Hayes County, Nebraska, in 377 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 45.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Hayes County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hayes County, Nebraska has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 1% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is unemployment high in Hayes County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Hayes County, Nebraska is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Hayes County, Nebraska have a college degree?
17.6% of adults in Hayes County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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