Lancaster County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lancaster 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.
-
A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 71% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 326,713 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 386.0 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.00% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.1 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 134,133 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lancaster County grew by 19.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 326,713 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lancaster County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 28.1% of residents. That is 5.3 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 91,667 28.1% +5.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 67,862 20.8% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 56,598 17.3% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 47,208 14.4% -1.8 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 49.8% of the people living in Lancaster County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.2% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lancaster County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lancaster County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,791 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.06% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lancaster County is about 2% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $308,582 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,084 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lancaster County is about 23.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,084 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lancaster County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.7 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,482 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.6% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,185 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,749 | 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 Lancaster County is about the same as 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
Lancaster County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.2% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Lancaster County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Lancaster County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.6% | 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).
Lancaster County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
Lancaster County, NE is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 326,713 residents against a local median of 23,048. Where Lancaster County, NE breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 54% above the local median of $200,000 at $308,582.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.4 min against a local median of 26.9 min, 35% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Lancaster County, NE is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $180,735 on median home price, so Lancaster County, NE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lancaster County, NE has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County, NE | 326,713 | $74,791 #3/4 | $308,582 #2/4 | 17.4 min #2/4 |
| Saunders County, NE | 23,048 | $95,507 | $200,000 | 26.9 min |
| Gage County, NE | 21,629 | $67,360 | $313,235 | 15.3 min |
| Cass County, NE | 27,161 | $91,453 | $132,500 | 28.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lancaster County, Nebraska.
How many people live in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
About 326,713 people live in Lancaster County, Nebraska, in 134,133 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 33.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Lancaster County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lancaster County, Nebraska has 386 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($308,582 against $74,791), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,084 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Lancaster County, Nebraska is only 3.1%, 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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