Jefferson County, Nebraska

County in NE, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

7,161

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

Median Age

44.4

years ∙ half population younger than 44.4, half older

Diversity Index

17.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.8%

foreign-born population

97.2%Native

2.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Jefferson County is a county in Nebraska, United States.

Location

County in NE, US

Co-ordinates

DEC40.175736° N, 97.143103° W

DMS40° 10′ 32.65″ N, 97° 08′ 35.17″ W

Population Density & area

12.56/sq mi (4.85/km²)

Total Area

575.7 sq mi (1,491 km²)

Land Area

570.2 sq mi (1,476.8 km²) · 99.05%

Water Area

5.5 sq mi (14.2 km²) · 0.95%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49% male

Male 49%

Female 51%

males per 100 females

Jefferson County 96.1

Nebraska 101

United States 98

Nativity

2.8%

foreign-born population

97.2%Native

2.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Jefferson County 2.8%

Nebraska 8%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

44.4

years ∙ half population younger than 44.4, half older

Jefferson County

44.4

Nebraska

37.2

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

90.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Jefferson County 90.7

Nebraska 70.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22.7%	24.5%	22%
Working age (18-64)	52.5%	58.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	24.8%	16.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	90.7	70.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	43.3	41.7	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	47.4	28.4	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

90.5%

Black

0.3%

Asian

Hispanic

5.9%

Other

3.3%

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

17.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Jefferson County 17.7%

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 Jefferson County population

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Hispanic or Latino	5.9%	12.7%	19.3%
Mexican	3.8%	8.7%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.9%	0.4%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.2%	3.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.1%	87.3%	80.7%
One race	91%	83.5%	76.4%
White	90.5%	75.3%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.3%	4.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.6%	0.5%
Asian	0%	2.6%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.1%	3.8%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

58.8% family

Family 58.8%

Non family 41.2%

% family households

Jefferson County 58.8%

Nebraska 62.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.25

persons per household

Jefferson County

2.25

Nebraska

2.42

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Jefferson County population

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Total households	3,136	797,847	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.25	2.42	2.53
Family households	1,844	500,016	82,990,528
Average family size	2.93	3.05	3.14
Married couple family	1,577	389,247	60,637,388
Other families	267	110,769	22,353,140
Male householder	85	35,772	6,572,819
Female householder	182	74,997	15,780,321
Non-family households	1,292	297,831	46,236,968
One-person households	1,118	244,781	37,140,836
Male householder	520	116,731	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	199	33,618	5,225,110
Female householder	598	128,050	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	365	64,330	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	174	53,050	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,679

housing units

Jefferson County 3,679

Nebraska 863,444

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

85.2% occupied

Occupied 85.2%

Vacant 14.8%

vacancy rate

Jefferson County 14.8%

Nebraska 7.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

83.9%

Single family houses

83.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

14.7%

Mobile homes

1.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1958

Half of houses were built before 1958, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

38.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

25.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

28.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

8.1%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.2	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.8%	13.2%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	44.9%	43.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	45.4%	43.2%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2%	2.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	10.7%	10.8%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	30.9%	25%	25%
3 bedrooms	35.6%	35.6%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	20.9%	26.2%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1958	1976	1981
Total housing units	3,679	863,444	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.9% owners

Renter-occupied 25.1%

Owner-occupied 74.9%

homeownership rate

Jefferson County 74.9%

Nebraska 66.5%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.4

Owner-occupied

1.8

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Jefferson County 2.4

Nebraska 2.6

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Total occupied units	3,136	797,847	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	24.1%	25.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	32.8%	39.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.5%	15.9%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	25.6%	18.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.8%	97.9%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.2%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.6%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	29.2%	30.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	32.2%	37.7%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	31%	26.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	55.9%	66.2%	51.4%
Electricity	38.7%	31.5%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.8%	0.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	4.5%	1.4%	2%
No fuel used	0.1%	0.4%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.7%	1%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2.4%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$129,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Jefferson County

$129,500

Nebraska

$238,600

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

24.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

24.2%

Owners without a mortgage

15.8%

Renters

39.2%

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

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Property value
Median Value	$129,500	$238,600	$332,700
Under $100,000	40.6%	14%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	27.4%	24.2%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	16.3%	27.2%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	12.1%	25.1%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	2.7%	8.2%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.9%	1.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	46.3%	58.5%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	53.7%	41.5%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,331	$1,736	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$560	$677	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$662	$1,072	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

20.2%

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

Jefferson County 20.2%

Nebraska 34.6%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Jefferson County 6.3%

Nebraska 7.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,542

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

8.8%

K–12

74.4%

College / Undergraduate

11.9%

Graduate / Professional

4.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

33.1%

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

Jefferson County

33.1%

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

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,542	516,339	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	8.8%	6.3%	5.7%
K–12	74.4%	68.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	7.1%	4.8%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	24.3%	20.5%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	21.2%	21.4%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.9%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	16.7%	25.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	11.9%	19.2%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.9%	6.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	33.1%	42%	40.9%
School type
Public school	86.6%	82.7%	82%
Private school	13.4%	17.3%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

5,012

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.2%

HS graduate

41.7%

Some college no degree

17.8%

Associates degree

14%

Bachelors degree

15.8%

Graduate or professional degree

4.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

43.3% · 56.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

72.3% · 27.7%

HS graduate

45.2% · 54.8%

Some college no degree

48.5% · 51.5%

Associates degree

46.9% · 53.1%

Bachelors degree

55.9% · 44.1%

Graduate or professional degree

40.5% · 59.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Population (25+)	5,012	1,300,410	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.1%	3.8%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.2%	4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	41.7%	25%	26%
Some college, no degree	17.8%	21.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	14%	11%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.2%	34.6%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	15.8%	22.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	4.4%	12.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	93.7%	92.2%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,659

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$35,869

Some college or associates

$45,219

Bachelors degree

$54,750

Graduate or professional degree

$65,385

Poverty Rate

1.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

50%

HS graduate

14.6%

Some college or associates

7.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

1.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Jefferson County	Nebraska	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$44,659	$51,569	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$37,277	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,869	$40,830	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$45,219	$47,062	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$54,750	$62,298	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$65,385	$78,244	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	50%	22.1%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	14.6%	12.8%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.2%	8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.7%	3.8%	4.5%

Insights for Jefferson 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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