County facts · Population · October 25, 2026
Nebraska Population by County, 2025 Census Estimates
Nebraska population by county: July 2025 Census estimates for all 93 counties, change since 2020, density, and a link to each official parcel map.
Looking for Nebraska population by county? The Census Bureau estimates that Nebraska had 2,018,006 residents on July 1, 2025, spread across 93 counties. Douglas County is the most populous, with 606,460 people (30% of the state), and McPherson County is the least populous, with 369.
The table below lists every county with its 2025 estimate, its April 2020 starting point, the change, people per square mile, and a link to its official parcel viewer.
Nebraska population at a glance
- Counties: 93
- Statewide, July 1, 2025: 2,018,006 (April 1, 2020 estimates base: 1,961,980; change +56,026, +2.9%)
- Most populous: Douglas County (606,460); least populous: McPherson County (369)
- Median county: about 6,170 residents (half of the counties are smaller)
- The 5 largest counties hold 63% of all Nebraska residents
- Counties with 1,000,000+ residents: 0 · 100,000+: 3 · under 10,000: 66
- Statewide density: about 26 people per square mile of land
Nebraska population by county, July 2025 (all 93)
| # | County | Jul 2025 | Apr 2020 | % change | People per sq mi | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas County | 606,460 | 584,527 | +3.8% | 1,858 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 2 | Lancaster County | 334,049 | 322,617 | +3.5% | 399 | county web map |
| 3 | Sarpy County | 208,303 | 190,607 | +9.3% | 875 | county web map |
| 4 | Hall County | 63,633 | 62,899 | +1.2% | 116 | county web map |
| 5 | Buffalo County | 51,172 | 50,082 | +2.2% | 53 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 6 | Dodge County | 38,057 | 37,159 | +2.4% | 72 | gWorks |
| 7 | Madison County | 36,106 | 35,589 | +1.5% | 63 | gWorks |
| 8 | Platte County | 35,649 | 34,311 | +3.9% | 53 | gWorks |
| 9 | Scotts Bluff County | 35,586 | 36,087 | −1.4% | 48 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 33,303 | 34,676 | −4.0% | 13 | gWorks |
| 11 | Adams County | 31,071 | 31,198 | −0.4% | 55 | county web map |
| 12 | Cass County | 27,657 | 26,601 | +4.0% | 50 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 13 | Dawson County | 24,452 | 24,106 | +1.4% | 24 | gWorks |
| 14 | Saunders County | 23,702 | 22,271 | +6.4% | 32 | gWorks |
| 15 | Gage County | 21,711 | 21,709 | +0.0% | 25 | gWorks |
| 16 | Dakota County | 21,687 | 21,581 | +0.5% | 82 | gWorks |
| 17 | Washington County | 21,302 | 20,867 | +2.1% | 55 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 18 | Seward County | 18,032 | 17,612 | +2.4% | 32 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 19 | Otoe County | 16,531 | 15,912 | +3.9% | 27 | gWorks |
| 20 | Saline County | 14,996 | 14,764 | +1.6% | 26 | gWorks |
| 21 | York County | 14,564 | 14,119 | +3.2% | 25 | CAMAvision Maps |
| 22 | Colfax County | 10,934 | 10,581 | +3.3% | 27 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 23 | Custer County | 10,500 | 10,545 | −0.4% | 4.1 | gWorks |
| 24 | Box Butte County | 10,494 | 10,835 | −3.1% | 9.8 | county web map |
| 25 | Red Willow County | 10,307 | 10,700 | −3.7% | 14 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 26 | Holt County | 10,067 | 10,119 | −0.5% | 4.2 | CAMAvision Maps |
| 27 | Wayne County | 10,020 | 9,704 | +3.3% | 23 | gWorks |
| 28 | Hamilton County | 9,678 | 9,427 | +2.7% | 18 | gWorks |
| 29 | Cheyenne County | 9,528 | 9,468 | +0.6% | 8.0 | gWorks |
| 30 | Phelps County | 8,994 | 8,969 | +0.3% | 17 | gWorks |
| 31 | Cuming County | 8,823 | 9,012 | −2.1% | 15 | gWorks |
| 32 | Butler County | 8,507 | 8,369 | +1.6% | 15 | gWorks |
| 33 | Cedar County | 8,373 | 8,380 | −0.1% | 11 | gWorks |
| 34 | Knox County | 8,335 | 8,385 | −0.6% | 7.5 | gWorks |
| 35 | Keith County | 8,100 | 8,328 | −2.7% | 7.6 | gWorks |
| 36 | Merrick County | 7,905 | 7,662 | +3.2% | 16 | gWorks |
| 37 | Dawes County | 7,858 | 8,198 | −4.1% | 5.6 | gWorks |
| 38 | Richardson County | 7,530 | 7,874 | −4.4% | 14 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 39 | Pierce County | 7,378 | 7,315 | +0.9% | 13 | gWorks |
| 40 | Nemaha County | 7,102 | 7,077 | +0.4% | 17 | CAMAvision Maps |
| 41 | Jefferson County | 7,070 | 7,241 | −2.4% | 12 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 42 | Kearney County | 6,790 | 6,686 | +1.6% | 13 | gWorks |
| 43 | Thurston County | 6,752 | 6,774 | −0.3% | 17 | gWorks |
| 44 | Burt County | 6,678 | 6,727 | −0.7% | 14 | gWorks |
| 45 | Howard County | 6,538 | 6,474 | +1.0% | 11 | gWorks |
| 46 | Antelope County | 6,352 | 6,300 | +0.8% | 7.4 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 47 | Clay County | 6,170 | 6,101 | +1.1% | 11 | gWorks |
| 48 | Stanton County | 5,744 | 5,843 | −1.7% | 13 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 49 | Dixon County | 5,602 | 5,597 | +0.1% | 12 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 50 | Cherry County | 5,561 | 5,458 | +1.9% | 0.9 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 51 | Fillmore County | 5,458 | 5,552 | −1.7% | 9.5 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 52 | Boone County | 5,355 | 5,378 | −0.4% | 7.8 | gWorks |
| 53 | Polk County | 5,270 | 5,211 | +1.1% | 12 | gWorks |
| 54 | Johnson County | 5,218 | 5,285 | −1.3% | 14 | gWorks |
| 55 | Thayer County | 4,842 | 5,035 | −3.8% | 8.4 | CAMAvision Maps |
| 56 | Sheridan County | 4,809 | 5,134 | −6.3% | 2.0 | gWorks |
| 57 | Furnas County | 4,524 | 4,630 | −2.3% | 6.3 | gWorks |
| 58 | Morrill County | 4,404 | 4,555 | −3.3% | 3.1 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 59 | Nuckolls County | 4,100 | 4,098 | +0.0% | 7.1 | gWorks |
| 60 | Valley County | 4,094 | 4,058 | +0.9% | 7.2 | gWorks |
| 61 | Chase County | 3,718 | 3,897 | −4.6% | 4.2 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 62 | Kimball County | 3,391 | 3,434 | −1.3% | 3.6 | gWorks |
| 63 | Webster County | 3,336 | 3,395 | −1.7% | 5.8 | gWorks |
| 64 | Nance County | 3,290 | 3,379 | −2.6% | 7.5 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 65 | Harlan County | 3,000 | 3,077 | −2.5% | 5.4 | gWorks |
| 66 | Sherman County | 2,924 | 2,963 | −1.3% | 5.2 | gWorks |
| 67 | Perkins County | 2,849 | 2,857 | −0.3% | 3.2 | gWorks |
| 68 | Brown County | 2,826 | 2,902 | −2.6% | 2.3 | gWorks |
| 69 | Franklin County | 2,795 | 2,885 | −3.1% | 4.9 | county web map |
| 70 | Frontier County | 2,655 | 2,520 | +5.4% | 2.7 | CAMAvision Maps |
| 71 | Pawnee County | 2,510 | 2,545 | −1.4% | 5.8 | gWorks |
| 72 | Hitchcock County | 2,467 | 2,618 | −5.8% | 3.5 | gWorks |
| 73 | Greeley County | 2,154 | 2,193 | −1.8% | 3.8 | gWorks |
| 74 | Deuel County | 1,862 | 1,839 | +1.3% | 4.2 | gWorks |
| 75 | Garden County | 1,804 | 1,873 | −3.7% | 1.1 | gWorks |
| 76 | Gosper County | 1,803 | 1,894 | −4.8% | 3.9 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 77 | Garfield County | 1,710 | 1,814 | −5.7% | 3.0 | gWorks |
| 78 | Boyd County | 1,674 | 1,819 | −8.0% | 3.1 | gWorks |
| 79 | Dundy County | 1,568 | 1,657 | −5.4% | 1.7 | gWorks |
| 80 | Rock County | 1,259 | 1,266 | −0.6% | 1.2 | gWorks |
| 81 | Sioux County | 1,188 | 1,137 | +4.5% | 0.6 | gWorks |
| 82 | Hayes County | 821 | 850 | −3.4% | 1.2 | gWorks |
| 83 | Keya Paha County | 792 | 768 | +3.1% | 1.0 | gWorks |
| 84 | Wheeler County | 789 | 771 | +2.3% | 1.4 | gWorks |
| 85 | Banner County | 686 | 676 | +1.5% | 0.9 | gWorks |
| 86 | Hooker County | 686 | 710 | −3.4% | 1.0 | gWorks |
| 87 | Logan County | 669 | 715 | −6.4% | 1.2 | gWorks |
| 88 | Thomas County | 639 | 669 | −4.5% | 0.9 | gWorks |
| 89 | Loup County | 570 | 607 | −6.1% | 1.0 | gWorks |
| 90 | Grant County | 561 | 611 | −8.2% | 0.7 | gWorks |
| 91 | Blaine County | 458 | 430 | +6.5% | 0.6 | gWorks |
| 92 | Arthur County | 396 | 431 | −8.1% | 0.6 | gWorks |
| 93 | McPherson County | 369 | 399 | −7.5% | 0.4 | gWorks |
Percent change runs from the April 1, 2020 estimates base to July 1, 2025. People per square mile is the July 2025 estimate divided by the county's land area in the Census Bureau's 2020 Gazetteer file, so lakes and bays are left out.
How Nebraska's population is spread out
Grouping the counties by size shows how concentrated the state is:
| Residents (July 2025) | Counties | Total residents | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250,000 to 999,999 | 2 | 940,509 | 47% |
| 100,000 to 249,999 | 1 | 208,303 | 10% |
| 25,000 to 99,999 | 9 | 352,234 | 17% |
| 10,000 to 24,999 | 15 | 239,299 | 12% |
| Under 10,000 | 66 | 277,661 | 14% |
2 counties with at least 250,000 residents hold 47% of the state's population.
Most and least densely populated
The most crowded counties by people per square mile of land:
- Douglas County: 1,858 per sq mi (606,460 people on 326 sq mi)
- Sarpy County: 875 per sq mi (208,303 people on 238 sq mi)
- Lancaster County: 399 per sq mi (334,049 people on 838 sq mi)
- Hall County: 116 per sq mi (63,633 people on 546 sq mi)
- Dakota County: 82 per sq mi (21,687 people on 264 sq mi)
The most thinly settled:
- McPherson County: 0.4 per sq mi (369 people on 859 sq mi)
- Arthur County: 0.6 per sq mi (396 people on 715 sq mi)
- Sioux County: 0.6 per sq mi (1,188 people on 2,067 sq mi)
- Blaine County: 0.6 per sq mi (458 people on 711 sq mi)
- Grant County: 0.7 per sq mi (561 people on 777 sq mi)
About these numbers
- They are estimates. Between censuses the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program updates county totals each year from births, deaths and migration records. The next full count is the 2030 census.
- The base is April 1, 2020. The estimates start from an April 1, 2020 "estimates base" built from the 2020 census, which is why it is slightly different from the published census count.
- Each new release revises the past. A newer vintage can change earlier years as well, so compare numbers from the same release, as this page does.
- Statewide total. The counties add up exactly to the statewide figure of 2,018,006 in the same file.
Using population numbers in a land search
- Big counties, busy offices. In the most populous counties, parcel maps and deed records are usually online and searchable, but recording and permit offices are busier. Allow for that if you are on a deadline.
- Small counties, fewer sales. In counties with only a few thousand people, land changes hands less often, so there are fewer recent sales to compare a price with. Recorded deeds and the local assessor's sales records are the best source.
- Density hints at lot size. A low people-per-square-mile figure usually means farms, ranches and timber tracts; a high one means subdivided lots. The parcel viewer shows the actual parcel lines.
- Check the official map. Use the parcel viewer link in the table for boundaries, parcel numbers and owner names, then confirm anything important with the local assessor and the office that records deeds.
Related guides
- Fastest growing counties in Nebraska
- Largest counties in Nebraska
- Nebraska county GIS websites by viewer
- Nebraska landowner maps for hunting
- Most populous counties in the US
- Where people are moving in the US
More: All Nebraska counties on Platbookmapper
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2025 (April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2020–2025 estimates, with components of change). Statewide totals are the sum of the counties and match the file's state row.
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer files, 2020 county land and water area (for people per square mile).
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 25, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.