Pawnee County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pawnee 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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C
Health Below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Nebraska
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 90% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pawnee County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,530 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.8 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.78% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,090 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pawnee County declined by 5.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,530 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pawnee County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.4% of residents. That is 8.2 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 397 15.7% -7.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 392 15.5% -5.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 516 20.4% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 618 24.4% +8.2 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 50.6% of the people living in Pawnee County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.4% Nebraska 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Pawnee County
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Economy
Pawnee County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,428 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.64% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.2% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pawnee County is about 20% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Pawnee County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $51,000 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $706 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pawnee County is about 6.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $706 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pawnee 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 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.4 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 114 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,536 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.1% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,207 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 228 | 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 Pawnee 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
Pawnee County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 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
Pawnee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.2% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 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).
Pawnee County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Pawnee County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee County, NE | 2,530 | $61,428 #2/2 | $51,000 #2/2 | 13.7 min #1/2 |
| Gage County, NE | 21,629 | $67,360 | $313,235 | 15.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pawnee County, Nebraska.
How big is Pawnee County, Nebraska by population?
About 2,530 people live in Pawnee County, Nebraska, in 1,090 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Pawnee County, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Pawnee County, Nebraska has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 7% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Pawnee County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($51,000 against $61,428), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $706 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Pawnee County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Pawnee County, Nebraska is only 2.2%, 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 Pawnee County, Nebraska?
19.2% of adults in Pawnee 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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