Knox County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Knox 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Knox County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,363 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.3 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.28% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.0 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,422 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Knox County declined by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,363 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Knox County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.9% of residents. That is 5.6 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,479 17.7% -5.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,331 15.9% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,682 20.1% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,829 21.9% +5.6 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 51.1% of the people living in Knox County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 48.9% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Knox County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Knox County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Knox County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,580 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.10% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Knox County is about 14% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Knox County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $177,500 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $646 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.4% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Knox County is about 22.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $646 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Knox County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 114 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Knox County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.6 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.2 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 114 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,519 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,536 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 501 | 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 Knox County is 14 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
Knox County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Knox County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Knox County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Knox County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.5% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.4% | 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).
Knox County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Knox County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, NE | 8,363 | $65,580 #2/2 | $177,500 #1/2 | 13.6 min #2/2 |
| Yankton County, SD | 23,415 | $73,291 | $22,808 | 11.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Knox County, Nebraska.
How big is Knox County, Nebraska by population?
About 8,363 people live in Knox County, Nebraska, in 3,422 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Knox County, Nebraska?
Averaged over its land area, Knox County, Nebraska has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Knox County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($177,500 against $65,580), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $646 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 Knox County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Knox County, Nebraska is only 3.6%, 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 Knox County, Nebraska?
17.6% of adults in Knox County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →