Kearney County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kearney 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 average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 84% of counties in Nebraska
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 84% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,713 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 13.0 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.31% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,814 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kearney County grew by 2.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,713 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kearney County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.7% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,288 19.2% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,288 19.2% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,389 20.7% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,252 18.6% +2.4 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 50.0% of the people living in Kearney County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.0% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kearney County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Kearney County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,831 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.37% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kearney County is about the same as in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $137,500 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $857 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kearney County is about 13.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $857 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kearney County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.0 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,430 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,428 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 921 | 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 Kearney 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
Kearney County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Kearney County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 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).
Kearney County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Kearney County, NE compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney County, NE | 6,713 | $76,831 #1/3 | $137,500 #2/3 | 21.0 min #3/3 |
| Buffalo County, NE | 50,579 | $75,983 | $238,571 | 12.2 min |
| Adams County, NE | 31,052 | $68,670 | $117,856 | 12.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kearney County, Nebraska.
What is the population of Kearney County, Nebraska?
About 6,713 people live in Kearney County, Nebraska, in 2,814 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Kearney County, Nebraska?
Averaged over its land area, Kearney County, Nebraska has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Kearney County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($137,500 against $76,831), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $857 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Kearney County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Kearney County, Nebraska is only 1.7%, 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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