Seward County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Seward 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 averageHealthier than 88% of counties in Nebraska
-
B
Income Around averageWealthier than 86% of counties in Nebraska
-
C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 90% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Seward County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,641 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.6 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.38% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 39.0 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,788 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Seward County grew by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,641 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Seward County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.1% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,426 25.1% +2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,153 17.9% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,328 18.9% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,116 17.7% +1.4 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 48.9% of the people living in Seward County and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 51.1% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Seward County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Seward County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Seward County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,582 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.46% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Seward County is about 5% higher than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Seward County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $303,125 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $979 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.0% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Seward County is about 25.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $979 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Seward County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 168 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Seward County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.3 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 168 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,206 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,926 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 892 | 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 Seward County is 20 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
Seward County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Seward County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.3% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 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
Seward County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Seward County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.5% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.2% | 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).
Seward County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Seward County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seward County, NE | 17,641 | $80,582 #1/2 | $303,125 #2/2 | 20.2 min #2/2 |
| Lancaster County, NE | 326,713 | $74,791 | $308,582 | 17.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Seward County, Nebraska.
How big is Seward County, Nebraska by population?
About 17,641 people live in Seward County, Nebraska, in 6,788 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 39.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Seward County, Nebraska?
Averaged over its land area, Seward County, Nebraska has 31 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Seward County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($303,125 against $80,582), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $979 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Seward County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Seward County, Nebraska is only 2.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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 →