Phelps County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Phelps 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 80% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 76% of counties in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Phelps County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,009 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 16.7 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.7 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,916 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Phelps County declined by 1.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,009 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Phelps 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 1,590 17.6% -5.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,747 19.4% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,869 20.7% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,675 18.6% +2.3 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 Phelps County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.2% Nebraska 50.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Phelps County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Phelps County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Phelps County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,938 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.85% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.2% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Phelps County is about 10% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Phelps County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $224,999 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $815 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Phelps County is about 23.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $815 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Phelps County spend about 18 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 75 hours, about 3.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Phelps County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 9.0 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 18.0 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 75 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,320 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,899 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 558 | 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 Phelps County is 9 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
Phelps County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Phelps County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 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
Phelps County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Phelps County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.7% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.7% | 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).
Phelps County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Phelps County, NE compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County, NE | 9,009 | $68,938 #3/3 | $224,999 #2/3 | 9.0 min #1/3 |
| Buffalo County, NE | 50,579 | $75,983 | $238,571 | 12.2 min |
| Dawson County, NE | 24,202 | $71,312 | $205,882 | 12.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phelps County, Nebraska.
What is the population of Phelps County, Nebraska?
About 9,009 people live in Phelps County, Nebraska, in 3,916 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 41.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Phelps County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Phelps County, Nebraska has 17 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 19% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Phelps County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($224,999 against $68,938), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $815 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 Phelps County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Phelps County, Nebraska is only 1.2%, 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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