Ponca, NE

City in Dixon County, NE, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

727

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

Median Age

43.9

years ∙ half population younger than 43.9, half older

Diversity Index

16.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

foreign-born population

99%Native

1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Ponca is a city within Dixon County, Nebraska, United States.

Location

City in Dixon County, NE, US

Co-ordinates

DEC42.564934° N, 96.709154° W

DMS42° 33′ 53.76″ N, 96° 42′ 32.95″ W

Population Density & area

945.4/sq mi (365/km²)

Total Area

0.769 sq mi (1.992 km²)

Land Area

0.769 sq mi (1.992 km²) · 100%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.9% male

Male 49.9%

Female 50.1%

males per 100 females

Ponca 99.7

Dixon County 103.6

Nebraska 101

Nativity

foreign-born population

99%Native

1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Ponca 1%

Dixon County 7.4%

Nebraska 8%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.9

years ∙ half population younger than 43.9, half older

Ponca

43.9

Dixon County

43.3

Nebraska

37.2

Dependency ratio

88.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Ponca 88.8

Dixon County 90.1

Nebraska 70.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.2%	25.3%	24.5%
Working age (18-64)	53%	52.6%	58.8%
Senior (65+)	26.8%	22.1%	16.7%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	88.8	90.1	70.1
Child dependency ratio	38.2	48.1	41.7
Old-age dependency ratio	50.6	42	28.4

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.2%

Black

0.1%

Asian

Hispanic

5.5%

Other

3.2%

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

16.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Ponca 16.5%

Dixon County 32%

Nebraska 41.3%

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 Ponca population

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Hispanic or Latino	5.5%	15.8%	12.7%
Mexican	0%	9.9%	8.7%
Puerto Rican	4.3%	0.9%	0.3%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.4%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.2%	5%	3.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.5%	84.2%	87.3%
One race	93.3%	81.7%	83.5%
White	91.2%	80.9%	75.3%
Black or African American	0.1%	0%	4.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1.7%	0.5%	0.6%
Asian	0%	0.1%	2.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.2%	0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.2%	2.5%	3.8%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

48.4% family

Family 48.4%

Non family 51.6%

% family households

Ponca 48.4%

Dixon County 64.4%

Nebraska 62.7%

Average household size

2.03

persons per household

Ponca

2.03

Dixon County

2.5

Nebraska

2.42

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Ponca population

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Total households	335	2,188	797,847
Average houshold size	2.03	2.5	2.42
Family households	162	1,409	500,016
Average family size	2.74	3.12	3.05
Married couple family	135	1,104	389,247
Other families	27	305	110,769
Male householder	0	88	35,772
Female householder	27	217	74,997
Non-family households	173	779	297,831
One-person households	147	675	244,781
Male householder	46	391	116,731
Senior (65+) living alone	10	147	33,618
Female householder	101	284	128,050
Senior (65+) living alone	57	184	64,330
Other living arrangements	26	104	53,050

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

382

housing units

Ponca 382

Dixon County 2,515

Nebraska 863,444

Occupancy status

87.7% occupied

Occupied 87.7%

Vacant 12.3%

vacancy rate

Ponca 12.3%

Dixon County 13%

Nebraska 7.6%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

82.5%

Single family houses

82.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

14.7%

Mobile homes

2.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1967

Half of houses were built before 1967, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

28.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

24.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

43.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

3.6%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	6.5	6.1
1–3 rooms	12.6%	5.8%	13.2%
4–6 rooms	45.8%	44.3%	43.4%
7+ rooms	41.7%	49.9%	43.2%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	3.4%	0.8%	2.5%
1 bedroom	13.4%	5.7%	10.8%
2 bedrooms	24.3%	28.2%	25%
3 bedrooms	38%	36.6%	35.6%
4+ bedrooms	21%	28.8%	26.2%
At a glance
Median year built	1967	1954	1976
Total housing units	382	2,515	863,444

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.9% owners

Renter-occupied 25.1%

Owner-occupied 74.9%

homeownership rate

Ponca 74.9%

Dixon County 76.5%

Nebraska 66.5%

Average household size

2.06

Owner-occupied

1.96

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Ponca 2.06

Dixon County 2.53

Nebraska 2.6

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Total occupied units	335	2,188	797,847
Year moved in
2020 or later	15.8%	17.2%	25.8%
2010 to 2019	32.8%	30.2%	39.4%
2000 to 2009	14.9%	17.9%	15.9%
1999 or earlier	36.4%	34.8%	18.9%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.3%	97%	97.9%
1.01 to 1.50	2.7%	2.6%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0.4%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	0%	1.6%	5.4%
1 vehicle	34.6%	22.9%	30.1%
2 vehicles	27.2%	31.7%	37.7%
3 or more vehicles	38.2%	43.8%	26.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	68.4%	60.6%	66.2%
Electricity	21.8%	32.9%	31.5%
Solar	0%	0%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	1.2%	0.3%
All other fuels	7.8%	4.9%	1.4%
No fuel used	2.1%	0.4%	0.4%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	2.1%	0.5%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	3.9%	1.1%	1%
No telephone service available	5.1%	1.1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$201,000

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Ponca

$201,000

Dixon County

$155,900

Nebraska

$238,600

Housing Cost Burden

12.8%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

12.8%

Owners without a mortgage

3.6%

Renters

52.8%

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

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Property value
Median Value	$201,000	$155,900	$238,600
Under $100,000	22.3%	31%	14%
$100,000 - $200,000	27.1%	34.3%	24.2%
$200,000 - $300,000	38.6%	19.5%	27.2%
$300,000 - $500,000	9.2%	10.8%	25.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	2.8%	8.2%
$1,000,000 and more	2.8%	1.6%	1.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	34.3%	42.5%	58.5%
Without a mortgage	65.7%	57.5%	41.5%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,337	$1,349	$1,736
Without a mortgage	$564	$520	$677
Gross rent
Median rent	$505	$689	$1,072

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

22%

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

Ponca 22%

Dixon County 23.4%

Nebraska 34.6%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Ponca 6.5%

Dixon County 14.1%

Nebraska 7.8%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

138

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.9%

K–12

86.2%

College / Undergraduate

10.9%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

36.7%

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

Ponca

36.7%

Dixon County

13.6%

Nebraska

42%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Total enrolled (age 3+)	138	1,239	516,339
Nursery / preschool	2.9%	6.9%	6.3%
K–12	86.2%	83.5%	68.4%
Kindergarten	0%	8.5%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	48.6%	24.3%	20.5%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	11.6%	25.3%	21.4%
High School: Grades 9–12	26.1%	25.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	10.9%	9.6%	25.3%
College, undergraduate	10.9%	8.5%	19.2%
Graduate, professional school	0%	1.1%	6.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	36.7%	13.6%	42%
School type
Public school	100%	93.3%	82.7%
Private school	0%	6.7%	17.3%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

550

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

5.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

0.9%

HS graduate

34.9%

Some college no degree

25.8%

Associates degree

10.7%

Bachelors degree

17.3%

Graduate or professional degree

4.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

22.6% · 77.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

60% · 40%

HS graduate

43.2% · 56.8%

Some college no degree

57.7% · 42.3%

Associates degree

71.2% · 28.8%

Bachelors degree

32.6% · 67.4%

Graduate or professional degree

34.6% · 65.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Population (25+)	550	3,708	1,300,410
Less than 9th grade	5.6%	9.1%	3.8%
9th–12th, no diploma	0.9%	5%	4%
High school diploma or GED	34.9%	30.4%	25%
Some college, no degree	25.8%	19.2%	21.6%
Associate's degree	10.7%	12.9%	11%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22%	23.4%	34.6%
Bachelor's degree	17.3%	17.8%	22.3%
Graduate or professional	4.7%	5.6%	12.3%
High School or higher	93.5%	85.9%	92.2%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$50,000

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$38,359

HS graduate

$34,583

Some college or associates

$51,100

Bachelors degree

$55,469

Graduate or professional degree

$66,250

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

HS graduate

17.8%

Some college or associates

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Ponca	Dixon County	Nebraska
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$50,000	$43,167	$51,569
Less than high school graduate	$38,359	$37,875	$37,277
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$34,583	$40,990	$40,830
Some college or associate's degree	$51,100	$45,074	$47,062
Bachelor's degree	$55,469	$46,500	$62,298
Graduate or professional degree	$66,250	$73,750	$78,244
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	0%	21.2%	22.1%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	17.8%	8.4%	12.8%
Some college or associate's degree	0%	4.3%	8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0%	0.9%	3.8%

Insights for Ponca, 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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