Lancaster County, NE

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

326,696

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

11.9%

1.67% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$74,793

2.99% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$275,200

6.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

176,247

0.93% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lancaster 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.

95.8% of the residents in Lancaster County, NE are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lancaster County, NE are University of Nebraska-Lincoln (6,153 degrees awarded in 2023), Southeast Community College Area (1,398 degrees), and Nebraska Wesleyan University (461 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Lancaster County, NE was $275,200, and the homeownership rate was 58.9%.

Most people in Lancaster County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19 minutes. The average car ownership in Lancaster County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Lancaster County, NE borders Butler County, NE, Cass County, NE, Gage County, NE, Johnson County, NE, Otoe County, NE, Saline County, NE, Saunders County, NE, and Seward County, NE.

About the photo: Lancaster, NE

Photo by David Williss

United States Nebraska Lincoln, NE

Population & Diversity

Lancaster County, NE is home to a population of 327k people, from which 95.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.62% of Lancaster County, NE residents were born outside of the country (28.2k people).

In 2024, there were 18.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (254k people) in Lancaster County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 13.8k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 13.3k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.8%

2024 Citizenship

95.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.8% of Lancaster County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lancaster County, NE was 95.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lancaster County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
254k ± 694
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
13.8k ± 1k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
13.3k ± 699

8.5%

Hispanic Population

27.8k people

8.5% of the people in Lancaster County, NE are hispanic (27.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lancaster 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

8.62%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

28.2k people

8.42%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

27.2k people

As of 2024, 8.62% of Lancaster County, NE residents (28.2k 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 Lancaster County, NE was 8.42%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,310 ± 445
Gulf War (2001-)
3,984 ± 456
Gulf War (1990s)
2,190 ± 353

Lancaster County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.08 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lancaster County, NE employs 176k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lancaster County, NE were Health Care & Social Assistance (25,045 people), Educational Services (22,856 people), and Retail Trade (18,938 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($80,781), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($74,044), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($64,692).

Employment

Occupations

176k

2024 Value

± 3,270

0.93%

1 Year growth

± 2.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lancaster County, NE grew at a rate of 0.93%, from 175k employees to 176k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lancaster County, NE, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (20,624 people), Management Occupations (17,863 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (15,263 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lancaster 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

176k

2024 Value

± 3,270

0.93%

1 Year growth

± 2.56%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lancaster County, NE grew at a rate of 0.93%, from 175k employees to 176k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lancaster County, NE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (25,045 people), Educational Services (22,856 people), and Retail Trade (18,938 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lancaster County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Lancaster County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,085

Median earning men ± $1,252

$39,376

Median earning women ± $1,216

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,385), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,569), and Information ($67,340).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,572), Public Administration ($51,894), and Wholesale Trade ($47,557).

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

741
Construction
631
Other Services (except Public Administration)
597
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$1.49M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.12M
Finance and Insurance
$896k
Manufacturing

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 Lancaster 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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Lancaster County, NE awarded 8,601 degrees. The student population of Lancaster County, NE in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 17,555 male students and 19,646 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lancaster County, NE are White (6,462 and 80.3%), Hispanic or Latino (645 and 8.02%), Two or More Races (320 and 3.98%), and Asian (276 and 3.43%).

The largest universities in Lancaster County, NE by number of degrees awarded are University of Nebraska-Lincoln (6,153 and 71.5%), Southeast Community College Area (1,398 and 16.3%), and Nebraska Wesleyan University (461 and 5.36%).

The most popular majors in Lancaster County, NE are General Business Administration & Management (628 and 7.3%), General Psychology (311 and 3.62%), and General Finance (241 and 2.8%).

The median tuition costs in Lancaster County, NE are $26,640 for private four year colleges, and $8,010 and $25,650 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Lancaster County, NE, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 31%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 37,201 (47.2% men and 52.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 37,201 students enrolled in Lancaster County, NE, 47.2% men and 52.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 27,153 records, of which 52.9% were women and 47.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
356 degrees awarded
General Psychology
290 degrees awarded
General Finance
237 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lancaster County, NE was General Business Administration & Management with 356 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Lancaster County, NE according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
6,153 degrees awarded
Southeast Community College Area
1,398 degrees awarded
Nebraska Wesleyan University
461 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Nebraska-Lincoln with 6,153 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 4,147 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lancaster County, NE, which is 0.931 times less than the 4,454 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,462 degrees mean that there were 10 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 645 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($26,640) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,098) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,778) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lancaster County, NE was $275,200 in 2024, which is 0.827 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $258,900 to $275,200, a 6.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Lancaster County, NE is 58.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lancaster County, NE have an average commute time of 19 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.372%.

Housing

Property

$275,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,244

$79,065

Median Property Taxes

±$1,746

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

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

Rent vs Own

58.9%

Homeownership

2024

63%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58.9% of the housing units in Lancaster County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lancaster 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.

$74,793

Median Household Income

± $1,721

134k

Number of Households

± 2,904

In 2024, the median household income of the 134k households in Lancaster County, NE grew to $74,793 from the previous year's value of $72,625.

The following chart displays the households in Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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 (74.2%)
Worked At Home (11.6%)
Carpooled (8.4%)

In 2024, 74.2% of workers in Lancaster County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.6%) and those who carpooled to work (8.4%).

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

19 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lancaster County, NE have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.04% of the workforce in Lancaster County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lancaster County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.372%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lancaster County, NE (37.2k out of 313k 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 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 9% of the children was living in poverty in Lancaster County, NE. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.3%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 326 in Lancaster County, NE. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 78.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.1% of the population of Lancaster County, NE has health coverage, with 56.4% on employee plans, 11.3% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 13.4% on non-group plans, and 1.44% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lancaster County, NE see 1,442 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,442 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 936 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 223 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,442 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lancaster County, NE

Primary care physicians in Lancaster County, NE see an average of 1,442 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,442 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.4% under 18 years, 26.6% between 18 and 34 years, 33.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.91%

Uninsured

56.4%

Employer Coverage

11.3%

Medicaid

11.5%

Medicare

13.4%

Non-Group

1.44%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lancaster County, NE declined by 6.6% from 6.33% to 5.91%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 38.5 in Lancaster County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lancaster County, NE.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 33.1% in Lancaster County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lancaster County, NE.