Howard County, NE

County

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2024 Population

6,534

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.2

0.236% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

4.82%

11.5% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$76,767

3.03% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$209,100

1.9% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

3,182

0.934% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Howard 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 Howard County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Howard County, NE was $209,100, and the homeownership rate was 78.2%.

Most people in Howard County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Howard County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Howard County, NE borders Buffalo County, NE, Greeley County, NE, Hall County, NE, Merrick County, NE, Nance County, NE, and Sherman County, NE.

United States Nebraska Grand Island, NE

Population & Diversity

Howard County, NE is home to a population of 6.53k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.68% of Howard County, NE residents were born outside of the country (110 people).

In 2024, there were 28.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.95k people) in Howard County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 209 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) and 111 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Howard County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Howard County, NE was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Howard County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.95k ± 189
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
209 ± 190
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
111 ± 52

3.24%

Hispanic Population

212 people

3.24% of the people in Howard County, NE are hispanic (212 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Howard 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
46,760 ± 5,245 people
Guatemala
11,721 ± 2,650 people
El Salvador
6,922 ± 2,039 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 46,760 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 11,721 and El Salvador with 6,922.

Foreign-Born Population

1.68%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

110 people

1.71%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

111 people

As of 2024, 1.68% of Howard County, NE residents (110 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Howard County, NE was 1.71%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
200 ± 52
Gulf War (2001-)
40 ± 28
Gulf War (1990s)
32 ± 29

Howard County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Howard County, NE.

Economy

The economy of Howard County, NE employs 3.18k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Howard County, NE were Health Care & Social Assistance (472 people), Retail Trade (348 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (300 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($75,417), Public Administration ($74,922), and Manufacturing ($66,324).

Employment

Occupations

3.18k

2024 Value

± 265

−0.934%

1 Year decline

± 11.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Howard County, NE declined at a rate of −0.934%, from 3.21k employees to 3.18k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Howard County, NE, are Management Occupations (415 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (410 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (259 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Howard County, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

3.18k

2024 Value

± 265

−0.934%

1 Year decline

± 11.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Howard County, NE declined at a rate of −0.934%, from 3.21k employees to 3.18k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Howard County, NE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (472 people), Retail Trade (348 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (300 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Howard County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Howard County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,352

Median earning men ± $2,126

$37,390

Median earning women ± $4,647

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($95,588), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,000), and Wholesale Trade ($66,875).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($71,161), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($51,667), and Manufacturing ($43,750).

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

24
Construction
15
Other Services (except Public Administration)
14
Transportation and Warehousing

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$15.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$5.83k
Retail Trade
$4.31k
Wholesale Trade

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Nebraska went to Donald J. Trump with 59.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.9%), followed by Other (0.849%).

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

Voting results are not available for Howard County, NE. Showing the available data for Nebraska.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (59.3%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.9%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.849%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Nebraska went to Donald J. Trump with 59.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.9%), followed by Other (0.849%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Nebraska for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Howard County, NE was $209,100 in 2024, which is 0.628 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $205,200 to $209,100, a 1.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Howard County, NE is 78.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Howard County, NE have an average commute time of 26.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Howard County, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Howard County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.18%.

Housing

Property

$209,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,825

$1,959

Median Property Taxes

±$184

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 Howard County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

78.2%

Homeownership

2024

63.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.2% of the housing units in Howard County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.1%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$76,767

Median Household Income

± $7,196

2.5k

Number of Households

± 220

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.5k households in Howard County, NE grew to $76,767 from the previous year's value of $74,508.

The following chart displays the households in Howard 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 Howard County, NE is from Nebraska.

0.447

2023 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2023, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.447 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.606% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (80.8%)
Worked At Home (8.56%)
Carpooled (6.36%)

In 2024, 80.8% of workers in Howard County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.56%) and those who carpooled to work (6.36%).

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

26.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Howard County, NE have a longer commute time (26.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.71% of the workforce in Howard County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Howard 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 Howard County, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Howard County, NE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Howard County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.18%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

4.82% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Howard County, NE (310 out of 6.43k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 65 - 74 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Howard County, NE is White, followed by Black and Native American.

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 2025, 11.8% of the children was living in poverty in Howard County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 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

93.2% of the population of Howard County, NE has health coverage, with 51.4% on employee plans, 8.76% on Medicaid, 15.9% on Medicare, 15% on non-group plans, and 2.1% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Howard County, NE see 1,306 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,306 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3258 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 932 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51% were men and 49% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,306 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Howard County, NE

Primary care physicians in Howard County, NE see an average of 1,306 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,306 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.9% under 18 years, 15.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51% were men and 49% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.82%

Uninsured

51.4%

Employer Coverage

8.76%

Medicaid

15.9%

Medicare

15%

Non-Group

2.1%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Howard County, NE declined by 2.13% from 6.97% to 6.82%.

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