Custer County, Nebraska

County in NE, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

10,518

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

42.1

years ∙ half population younger than 42.1, half older

Diversity Index

15.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.9%

foreign-born population

98.1%Native

1.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Custer County is a county in Nebraska, United States.

Location

County in NE, US

Co-ordinates

DEC41.393893° N, 99.726866° W

DMS41° 23′ 38.01″ N, 99° 43′ 36.72″ W

Population Density & area

4.08/sq mi (1.58/km²)

Total Area

2,575 sq mi (6,671 km²)

Land Area

2,575 sq mi (6,670 km²) · 99.98%

Water Area

0 sq mi (1 km²) · 0.02%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.2% male

Male 51.2%

Female 48.8%

males per 100 females

Custer County 104.8

Nebraska 101

United States 98

Nativity

1.9%

foreign-born population

98.1%Native

1.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Custer County 1.9%

Nebraska 8%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

42.1

years ∙ half population younger than 42.1, half older

Custer County

42.1

Nebraska

37.2

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

88.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Custer County 88.3

Nebraska 70.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	24.3%	24.5%	22%
Working age (18-64)	53.1%	58.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	22.6%	16.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	88.3	70.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	45.8	41.7	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	42.5	28.4	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.6%

Black

0.5%

Asian

0.1%

Hispanic

Other

3.8%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

15.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Custer County 15.9%

Nebraska 41.3%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Custer County population

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Hispanic or Latino	4%	12.7%	19.3%
Mexican	3.3%	8.7%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.4%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.6%	3.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	96%	87.3%	80.7%
One race	93.3%	83.5%	76.4%
White	91.6%	75.3%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.5%	4.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.4%	0.6%	0.5%
Asian	0.1%	2.6%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.2%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.6%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.7%	3.8%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

65.7% family

Family 65.7%

Non family 34.3%

% family households

Custer County 65.7%

Nebraska 62.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.31

persons per household

Custer County

2.31

Nebraska

2.42

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Custer County population

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Total households	4,502	797,847	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.31	2.42	2.53
Family households	2,959	500,016	82,990,528
Average family size	2.86	3.05	3.14
Married couple family	2,424	389,247	60,637,388
Other families	535	110,769	22,353,140
Male householder	151	35,772	6,572,819
Female householder	384	74,997	15,780,321
Non-family households	1,543	297,831	46,236,968
One-person households	1,445	244,781	37,140,836
Male householder	755	116,731	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	206	33,618	5,225,110
Female householder	690	128,050	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	454	64,330	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	98	53,050	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

5,334

housing units

Custer County 5,334

Nebraska 863,444

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

84.4% occupied

Occupied 84.4%

Vacant 15.6%

vacancy rate

Custer County 15.6%

Nebraska 7.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

89.4%

Single family houses

89.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

8.7%

Mobile homes

1.7%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1959

Half of houses were built before 1959, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

38.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

20.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

29.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

11.9%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.4	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.4%	13.2%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	42.1%	43.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	48.4%	43.2%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.5%	2.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	9.1%	10.8%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	28%	25%	25%
3 bedrooms	33.9%	35.6%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	27.5%	26.2%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1959	1976	1981
Total housing units	5,334	863,444	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

68.9% owners

Renter-occupied 31.1%

Owner-occupied 68.9%

homeownership rate

Custer County 68.9%

Nebraska 66.5%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.38

Owner-occupied

2.16

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Custer County 2.38

Nebraska 2.6

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Total occupied units	4,502	797,847	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.3%	25.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	33%	39.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18%	15.9%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	27.8%	18.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.5%	97.9%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.6%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	4.2%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	24.6%	30.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	29.7%	37.7%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	41.6%	26.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	59.7%	66.2%	51.4%
Electricity	35.3%	31.5%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	4.6%	1.4%	2%
No fuel used	0.4%	0.4%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.7%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.7%	1%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.1%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$157,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Custer County

$157,800

Nebraska

$238,600

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

24.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

24.9%

Owners without a mortgage

14.8%

Renters

32.5%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Property value
Median Value	$157,800	$238,600	$332,700
Under $100,000	33.8%	14%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	26.6%	24.2%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	17.2%	27.2%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	12.9%	25.1%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.2%	8.2%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	3.4%	1.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	43.9%	58.5%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	56.1%	41.5%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,384	$1,736	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$556	$677	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$853	$1,072	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

24.3%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Custer County 24.3%

Nebraska 34.6%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Custer County 5%

Nebraska 7.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,174

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.3%

K–12

84.4%

College / Undergraduate

8.6%

Graduate / Professional

1.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

11.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Custer County

11.2%

Nebraska

42%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,174	516,339	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.3%	6.3%	5.7%
K–12	84.4%	68.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.5%	4.8%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19%	20.5%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	27.6%	21.4%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	31.3%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	10.3%	25.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	8.6%	19.2%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.7%	6.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	11.2%	42%	40.9%
School type
Public school	87.7%	82.7%	82%
Private school	12.3%	17.3%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

7,246

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.5%

HS graduate

31.6%

Some college no degree

22.8%

Associates degree

16.3%

Bachelors degree

17.6%

Graduate or professional degree

6.6%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

45.4% · 54.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

50% · 50%

HS graduate

56.1% · 43.9%

Some college no degree

43.4% · 56.6%

Associates degree

58% · 42%

Bachelors degree

47.4% · 52.6%

Graduate or professional degree

37.8% · 62.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Population (25+)	7,246	1,300,410	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	1.5%	3.8%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.5%	4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	31.6%	25%	26%
Some college, no degree	22.8%	21.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	16.3%	11%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.3%	34.6%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	17.6%	22.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	6.6%	12.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	95%	92.2%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,717

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$25,000

HS graduate

$40,740

Some college or associates

$45,996

Bachelors degree

$53,722

Graduate or professional degree

$73,250

Poverty Rate

1.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

18.8%

HS graduate

10.7%

Some college or associates

4.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

1.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Custer County	Nebraska	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,717	$51,569	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$25,000	$37,277	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$40,740	$40,830	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$45,996	$47,062	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$53,722	$62,298	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$73,250	$78,244	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	18.8%	22.1%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	10.7%	12.8%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	4.5%	8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.5%	3.8%	4.5%

Insights for Custer County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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