Merrick County, NE

County

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2020 Population

7,826

0.359% 1-year growth

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Ben Sasse

Republican Party

2020 Median Age

43.1

1.15% 1-year decrease

2020 Poverty Rate

12.2%

1.4% 1-year increase

2020 Median Household Income

$52,254

6.1% 1-year decline

2020 Median Property Value

$119,900

3.9% 1-year growth

About

In 2020, Merrick County, NE had a population of 7.83k people with a median age of 43.1 and a median household income of $52,254. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Merrick County, NE grew from 7,798 to 7,826, a 0.359% increase and its median household income declined from $55,649 to $52,254, a −6.1% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Merrick County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.9%), White (Hispanic) (2.56%), Other (Hispanic) (1.38%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.37%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.14%).

None of the households in Merrick 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% of the residents in Merrick County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2020, the median property value in Merrick County, NE was $119,900, and the homeownership rate was 77.4%.

Most people in Merrick County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Merrick County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Merrick County, NE borders Hall County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Howard County, NE, Nance County, NE, Platte County, NE, and Polk County, NE.

Population & Diversity

Merrick County, NE is home to a population of 7.83k people, from which 98% are citizens. As of 2020, 3.45% of Merrick County, NE residents were born outside of the country (270 people).

In 2020, there were 36 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.19k people) in Merrick County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 200 White (Hispanic) and 108 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98%

2020 Citizenship

97.8%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 98% of Merrick County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Merrick County, NE was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Merrick County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.19k ± 24
White (Hispanic)
200 ± 68
Other (Hispanic)
108 ± 73

4.86%

Hispanic Population

380 people

4.86% of the people in Merrick County, NE are hispanic (380 people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

3.45%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

270 people

2.71%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

211 people

As of 2020, 3.45% of Merrick County, NE residents (270 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Merrick County, NE was 2.71%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
182 ± 61
Gulf War (2001-)
110 ± 45
Gulf War (1990s)
31 ± 28

Merrick County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.65 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Merrick County, NE employs 4.02k people. The largest industries in Merrick County, NE are Health Care & Social Assistance (611 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (524 people), and Manufacturing (505 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($87,778), Information ($54,107), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($51,250).

Employment

Occupations

4.02k

2020 Value

± 300

0.0249%

1 Year growth

± 10.5%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Merrick County, NE grew at a rate of 0.0249%, from 4.02k employees to 4.02k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merrick County, NE, are Management Occupations (673 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (464 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (310 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merrick 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

4.02k

2020 Value

± 300

0.0249%

1 Year growth

± 10.5%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Merrick County, NE grew at a rate of 0.0249%, from 4.02k employees to 4.02k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merrick County, NE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (611 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (524 people), and Manufacturing (505 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merrick County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Merrick County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,558

Median earning men ± $1,833

$26,279

Median earning women ± $3,449

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($63,922), Information ($55,588), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,219).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Wholesale Trade ($42,188), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($35,125), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($35,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

76
Wholesale Trade
73
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
53
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance

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

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Nebraska to other states, or from other states to Nebraska.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Nebraska product (by dollars) was Meat/seafood with $25.7B, followed by Live animals/fish ($15.7B) and Cereal grains ($13B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Nebraska products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Nebraska.

$153B

2020 Value in Nebraska

$285B

Projected 2050 Value in Nebraska

86.9% growth

In 2020, total outbound Nebraska trade was $153B. This is expected to increase 86.9% to $285B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Nebraska trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Nebraska to other states, or from other states to Nebraska.

Most Common Trade Partners

Iowa
$11.7B
Kansas
$8.57B
Texas
$7.11B

In 2020, the top outbound Nebraska domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Iowa with $11.7B, followed by Kansas with $8.57B and Texas and $7.11B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Nebraska shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Merrick County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 80.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (17.5%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.23%).

Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse 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 (80.3%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (17.5%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (2.23%)
Libertarian Party

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

Senators 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

Ben Sasse

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse 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 Representatives 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 2020, 0.858% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.835% 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 2020 were High School or Equivalent (379k), Some college (365k), and Bachelors Degree (295k).

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 Merrick County, NE was $119,900 in 2020, which is 0.522 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $115,400 to $119,900, a 3.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Merrick County, NE is 77.4%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in Merrick County, NE have an average commute time of 19.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merrick County, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Merrick County, NE is $52,254. In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Merrick County, NE was Census Tract 9666 with a value of $54,853, followed by Census Tract 9668 and Census Tract 9667, with respective values of $52,500 and $47,159.

Property

$119,900

Median Property Value 2020

±$8,209

$2,577

Median Property Taxes

±$241

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 Merrick County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

77.4%

Homeownership

2020

66.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 77.4% of the housing units in Merrick County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merrick 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 9666
Census Tract 9668
Census Tract 9667

In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Merrick County, NE was Census Tract 9666 with a value of $54,853, followed by Census Tract 9668 and Census Tract 9667, with respective values of $52,500 and $47,159.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Merrick 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.

$52,254

Median Household Income

± $3,833

3.33k

Number of Households

± 284

In 2020, the median household income of the 3.33k households in Merrick County, NE declined from $52,254 from the previous year's value of $55,649.

The following chart displays the households in Merrick 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.441

2020 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2019 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2020, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.534% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more 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 2020

Drove Alone (86.3%)
Carpooled (5.22%)
Worked At Home (4.93%)

In 2020, 86.3% of workers in Merrick County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (5.22%) and those who worked at home (4.93%).

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

19.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merrick County, NE have a shorter commute time (19.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 1.3% of the workforce in Merrick County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merrick County, NE (933 out of 7.67k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

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

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.

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

92.2% of the population of Merrick County, NE has health coverage, with 45.9% on employee plans, 10.7% on Medicaid, 15.1% on Medicare, 19.3% on non-group plans, and 1.17% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Nebraska was $8,412 in 2014. This is a 3.43% increase from the previous year ($8,133).

Primary care physicians in Merrick County, NE see 3866 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.9% decrease from the previous year (3941 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1939 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 3878 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Nebraska. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Nebraska, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,866 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Merrick County, NE

Primary care physicians in Merrick County, NE see an average of 3,866 patients per year. This represents a 1.9% decrease from the previous year (3,941 patients).

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

Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Nebraska across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 17.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.78%

Uninsured

45.9%

Employer Coverage

10.7%

Medicaid

15.1%

Medicare

19.3%

Non-Group

1.17%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Merrick County, NE declined by 14.8% from 9.13% to 7.78%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2021, 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 41.7% in Merrick County, NE.

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

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