Thurston County, Nebraska Income Statistics
Thurston County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Thurston County Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Thurston County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $69,578 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $46,753 | $56,814 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.4% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.0% | 11.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.0% | 9.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Thurston County is about 9% lower than in Nebraska. Income has been growing faster in Thurston County (6.4%/yr) than in Nebraska (4.3%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Thurston County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Nebraska average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Thurston County, Nebraska grew by 71.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $69,578 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Thurston County
| Metric | Thurston County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.542 | 0.515 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $58,082 | $65,618 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,857 | $52,854 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 24.5% | 19.5% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Thurston County, it is 0.542, higher than Nebraska's 0.515, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 32% more than women's income in Thurston County, Nebraska. Over a 35-year career, a 32% wage gap accumulates to roughly $497,875 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Thurston County, Nebraska has widened from about 10% to 24% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 9% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $11,085 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Thurston County widened by 15.0 points while Nebraska's narrowed by 3.1 points.
Employment
| Metric | Thurston County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 10.0% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 3.2% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 13 | 16 | 22 |
Approximately 303 people are unemployed in Thurston County, Nebraska.
The average commute time in Thurston County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Nebraska.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Thurston County, Nebraska has fallen from 13.7% to 10.0% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 15.4% in 2017.
Thurston County, NE Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Thurston County, NE is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,627 residents against a local median of 8,975. Thurston County, NE's unemployment, at 10.0%, runs more than 4 times the 2.4% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 6.4%/yr against a local median of 4.0%/yr, 60% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Thurston County, NE is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 3.7% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Thurston County, NE, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Thurston County, NE has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurston County, NE | 6,627 | $69,578 #5/6 | 6.4%/yr #1/6 | 10.0% #6/6 | 0.542 #6/6 |
| Dakota County, NE | 21,354 | $70,667 | 3.9%/yr | 4.8% | 0.491 |
| Cuming County, NE | 8,975 | $71,671 | 4.8%/yr | 2.2% | 0.482 |
| Burt County, NE | 6,740 | $62,449 | 3.5%/yr | 1.1% | 0.509 |
| Dixon County, NE | 5,545 | $72,726 | 4.0%/yr | 2.4% | 0.480 |
| Woodbury County, IA | 106,250 | $73,309 | 5.2%/yr | 4.1% | 0.515 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Thurston County, Nebraska has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Nebraska, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Thurston County, Nebraska.
How Rich Is Thurston County, Nebraska?
Thurston County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $69,578, about 9% lower than the Nebraska average of $76,615.
How has median household income changed in Thurston County, Nebraska?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Thurston County, Nebraska rose 72%, from $40,567 to $69,578. Over the same years, income here outpaced Nebraska as a whole: +72% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Thurston County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Thurston County, Nebraska was $65,078, up 1% from $64,375 in 2022. The Nebraska median that year was $74,986.
What was the median household income in Thurston County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Thurston County, Nebraska was $55,765. By 2024 it had risen 25% to $69,578.
Is unemployment high in Thurston County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Thurston County, Nebraska is 10.0%, well above the Nebraska rate of 3.0%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Thurston County, Nebraska?
The Gini coefficient in Thurston County is 0.542. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Thurston County, Nebraska?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Thurston County, Nebraska has widened from about 10% to 24% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 9% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $11,085 since 2009.
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