Custer County, NE

County

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2023 Population

10,544

0.208% 1-year decline

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

42.3

0.475% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

8.64%

23.7% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$66,310

6.46% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$160,500

20.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,251

0.19% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Custer County, NE had a population of 10.5k people with a median age of 42.3 and a median household income of $66,310. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Custer County, NE declined from 10,566 to 10,544, a −0.208% decrease and its median household income grew from $62,288 to $66,310, a 6.46% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Custer County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.11%), Other (Hispanic) (1.74%), White (Hispanic) (1.55%), and American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.607%).

None of the households in Custer County, NE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.5% of the residents in Custer County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Custer County, NE was $160,500, and the homeownership rate was 70.9%.

Most people in Custer County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Custer County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Custer County, NE borders Blaine County, NE, Buffalo County, NE, Dawson County, NE, Garfield County, NE, Lincoln County, NE, Logan County, NE, Loup County, NE, Sherman County, NE, and Valley County, NE.

United States Nebraska

Population & Diversity

Custer County, NE is home to a population of 10.5k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.98% of Custer County, NE residents were born outside of the country (209 people).

In 2023, there were 43.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.74k people) in Custer County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 222 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 183 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

98.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.5% of Custer County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Custer County, NE was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Custer County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Custer County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
9.74k ± 59
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
222 ± 62.6
Other (Hispanic)
183 ± 109

3.76%

Hispanic Population

396 people

3.76% of the people in Custer County, NE are hispanic (396 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Custer County, NE as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Nebraska.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
46,527 ± 5,232 people
Guatemala
10,472 ± 2,506 people
India
6,505 ± 1,977 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 46,527 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 10,472 and India with 6,505.

Foreign-Born Population

1.98%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

209 people

1.57%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

166 people

As of 2023, 1.98% of Custer County, NE residents (209 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Custer County, NE was 1.57%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Custer County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
167 ± 47
Gulf War (2001-)
76 ± 49
Gulf War (1990s)
46 ± 34

Custer County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.2 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Custer County, NE employs 5.25k people. The largest industries in Custer County, NE are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (1,026 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (624 people), and Educational Services (532 people), and the highest paying industries are Manufacturing ($65,075), Wholesale Trade ($58,864), and Transportation & Warehousing ($58,864).

Males in Nebraska have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $55,834. The income inequality in Nebraska (measured using the Gini index) is 0.444, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

5.25k

2023 Value

± 343

−0.19%

1 Year decline

± 9.36%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Custer County, NE declined at a rate of −0.19%, from 5.26k employees to 5.25k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Custer County, NE, are Management Occupations (804 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (479 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (439 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Custer County, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.25k

2023 Value

± 343

−0.19%

1 Year decline

± 9.36%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Custer County, NE declined at a rate of −0.19%, from 5.26k employees to 5.25k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Custer County, NE, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (1,026 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (624 people), and Educational Services (532 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Custer County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Custer County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,225

Median earning men ± $3,819

$36,132

Median earning women ± $3,573

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($147,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,321), and Manufacturing ($66,454).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Manufacturing ($63,071), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($55,423), and Construction ($51,500).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Y-Axis

2.25%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.03M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.25% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.87%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Nebraska.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

42
Construction
33
Other Services (except Public Administration)
25
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$39.5k
Manufacturing
$26k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$18k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Custer County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 84.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (13.1%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.95%).

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing the state of Nebraska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (84.9%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (13.1%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.95%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Custer County, NE for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Nebraska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Deb Fischer

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Pete Ricketts

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 12, 2023
Appointed to the seat on January 12, 2023 following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing Nebraska.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Nebraska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Nebraska

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Nebraska have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Measure

In 2022, 1.09% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.952% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (381k), Some college (364k), and Bachelors Degree (309k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Custer County, NE was $160,500 in 2023, which is 0.529 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $133,400 to $160,500, a 20.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Custer County, NE is 70.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Custer County, NE have an average commute time of 17.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Custer County, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Custer County, NE is $66,310. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Custer County, NE was Census Tract 9720 with a value of $71,723, followed by Census Tract 9717 and Census Tract 9719, with respective values of $67,162 and $65,500.

In 2023, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Custer County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.34%.

Housing

Property

$160,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$24,200

$3,159

Median Property Taxes

±$249

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Custer County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Custer County, NE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.9%

Homeownership

2023

62.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 70.9% of the housing units in Custer County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Custer County, NE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9720
Census Tract 9717
Census Tract 9719

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Custer County, NE was Census Tract 9720 with a value of $71,723, followed by Census Tract 9717 and Census Tract 9719, with respective values of $67,162 and $65,500.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Custer County, NE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$66,310

Median Household Income

± $2,539

4.46k

Number of Households

± 309

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.46k households in Custer County, NE grew to $66,310 from the previous year's value of $62,288.

The following chart displays the households in Custer County, NE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Custer County, NE is from Nebraska.

0.444

2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2021 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2022, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.444 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0995% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nebraska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (78.8%)
Carpooled (10.1%)
Worked At Home (6.05%)

In 2023, 78.8% of workers in Custer County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.1%) and those who worked at home (6.05%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

17.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Custer County, NE have a shorter commute time (17.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.83% of the workforce in Custer County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Custer County, NE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Custer County, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Custer County, NE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Custer County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.34%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.64% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Custer County, NE (900 out of 10.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Custer County, NE is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 14.2% of the children was living in poverty in Custer County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

92.8% of the population of Custer County, NE has health coverage, with 39.4% on employee plans, 13.3% on Medicaid, 16% on Medicare, 22.6% on non-group plans, and 1.4% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Custer County, NE see 1518 patients per year on average, which represents a 12.7% increase from the previous year (1347 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2092 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 951 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,518 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Custer County, NE

Primary care physicians in Custer County, NE see an average of 1,518 patients per year. This represents a 12.7% increase from the previous year (1,347 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Custer County, NE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.6% under 18 years, 16.7% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.2%

Uninsured

39.4%

Employer Coverage

13.3%

Medicaid

16%

Medicare

22.6%

Non-Group

1.4%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Custer County, NE declined by 6.94% from 7.74% to 7.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Custer County, NE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.