Wheeler County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wheeler 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.
-
C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Nebraska
-
C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 73% of counties in Nebraska
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wheeler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 847 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.5 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.85% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.6 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 359 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wheeler County grew by 14.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 847 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wheeler County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 28.4% of residents. That is 12.1 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 113 13.3% -9.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 134 15.9% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 195 23.0% +4.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 241 28.4% +12.1 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 49.5% of the people living in Wheeler County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 50.5% Nebraska 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wheeler County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wheeler County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Wheeler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,681 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.04% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wheeler County is about 14% lower than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Wheeler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | — | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $509 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wheeler County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wheeler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.9 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,066 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.8% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 231 | 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 Wheeler County is 12 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
Wheeler County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wheeler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.0% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Wheeler County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wheeler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.5% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wheeler County, Nebraska.
How big is Wheeler County, Nebraska by population?
About 847 people live in Wheeler County, Nebraska, in 359 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 52.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is Wheeler County, Nebraska mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wheeler County, Nebraska has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
How strong is the job market in Wheeler County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Wheeler County, Nebraska is only 2.3%, 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 Wheeler County, Nebraska?
24.0% of adults in Wheeler County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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 →