Howard County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Howard 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 averageHealthier than 90% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 70% of counties in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Howard County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,534 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11.4 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.33% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.3 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,504 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Howard County grew by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,534 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Howard County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.7% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,159 17.7% -5.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,199 18.3% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,354 20.7% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,316 20.1% +3.9 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 49.4% of the people living in Howard County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.6% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Howard County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Howard County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Howard County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,518 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.01% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Howard County is about 1% higher than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Howard County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $517,857 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $777 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.2% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Howard County is about 55.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $777 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Howard County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 215 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Howard County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.5 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 215 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,658 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.6% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,531 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 392 | 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 Howard County is 26 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
Howard County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Howard County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 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
Howard County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Howard County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.9 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.9% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.4% | 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).
Howard County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Howard County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, NE | 6,534 | $77,518 #1/2 | $517,857 #1/2 | 25.8 min #2/2 |
| Hall County, NE | 62,536 | $68,324 | $243,292 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Howard County, Nebraska.
How big is Howard County, Nebraska by population?
About 6,534 people live in Howard County, Nebraska, in 2,504 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Howard County, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Howard County, Nebraska has 11 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 13% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Howard County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.7 times the median household income ($517,857 against $77,518), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $777 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Howard County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Howard 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.
How common is a college degree in Howard County, Nebraska?
20.9% of adults in Howard County, 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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