Hooker County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hooker 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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N/A
Health Not enough data
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D
Income Well below averageLeast wealthy county in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hooker County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 647 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.9 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.29% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 327 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hooker County declined by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 647 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hooker County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.9% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 111 17.1% -5.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 105 16.2% -4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 135 20.9% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 132 20.4% +4.2 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 50.4% of the people living in Hooker County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.6% Nebraska 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Hooker County
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Economy
Hooker County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hooker County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,778 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.85% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hooker County is about 35% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Hooker County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $517,857 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $591 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.4% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hooker County is about 73.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $591 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hooker County spend about 15 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 62 hours, about 2.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hooker County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 7.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 14.8 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 62 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $1,908 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 382 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 56 | 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 Hooker County is 7 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
Hooker County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hooker County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.0% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.86 | 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
| Metric | Hooker County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | — | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.2% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.7% | 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 Hooker County, Nebraska.
How big is Hooker County, Nebraska by population?
About 647 people live in Hooker County, Nebraska, in 327 households of 1.9 people on average. The median age is 40.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Hooker County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hooker 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 Hooker County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 10.4 times the median household income ($517,857 against $49,778), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $591 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Hooker County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Hooker County, Nebraska is only 3.9%, 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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