Population 2,847 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Harlan County
Household size in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.25 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.25 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Harlan County are small: just 2.36 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.24 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.1 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.3 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.7 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.2 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.2, Harlan County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Few Nebraska counties are older: only eight of 93.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.2% of households in Harlan County, well below the national share of 11.6%. Harlan County has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Nebraska counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Harlan County
Renters in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.4% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Harlan County is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (60.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. No other Nebraska county has a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.9% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.3% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Harlan County: 32.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Of Nebraska's 93 counties, only five have a higher vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Harlan County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1962, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $497 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $555 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $622 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $694 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$197 | +$429 | +$606 |
Rent in Harlan County runs $694 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 18.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Harlan County
Bachelor's degrees in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.8 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Harlan County (29.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. Compared with other Nebraska counties, though, Harlan County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.7% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.7% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.0% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Harlan County is above the national rate: 94.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Harlan County
| Period | Harlan County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.0% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.9% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.2% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.3% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Harlan County has been strong: just 1.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Harlan County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County | 2.36 | 49.2 | 4.2% | 14.2% | 32.3% | 1962 | $694 | 29.6% | 94.0% | 1.3% |
| Franklin County | 2.19 | 47.1 | 7.3% | 16.8% | 13.8% | 1940 | $743 | 21.1% | 93.7% | 2.7% |
| Furnas County | 2.21 | 46.4 | 3.3% | 23.7% | 20.3% | 1948 | $791 | 23.8% | 89.6% | 0.9% |
| Webster County | 2.25 | 44.9 | 8.5% | 19.4% | 16.0% | 1947 | $719 | 21.1% | 94.9% | 0.8% |
| Red Willow County | 2.28 | 42.2 | 7.4% | 27.0% | 13.6% | 1957 | $862 | 24.6% | 92.8% | 1.2% |
| Nuckolls County | 2.11 | 51.3 | 3.7% | 16.5% | 13.1% | 1952 | $551 | 22.5% | 92.3% | 0.7% |
| Hitchcock County | 2.29 | 46.6 | 9.0% | 21.3% | 27.1% | 1949 | $806 | 21.2% | 92.7% | 1.8% |
| Thayer County | 2.31 | 46.5 | 6.2% | 22.5% | 15.6% | 1954 | $710 | 23.7% | 94.7% | 2.0% |
| Dundy County | 2.18 | 47.2 | 4.9% | 26.4% | 21.7% | 1951 | $669 | 20.0% | 93.2% | 0.3% |
| Jefferson County | 2.28 | 43.9 | 5.2% | 25.1% | 14.1% | 1958 | $575 | 20.1% | 93.3% | 1.4% |
| Gage County | 2.30 | 42.9 | 9.1% | 26.5% | 10.7% | 1961 | $826 | 24.4% | 93.8% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Worth County, MO · Armstrong County, TX · Arthur County, NE · Atchison County, MO · Atkinson County, GA · Audubon County, IA · Aurora County, SD · Baca County, CO · Woodruff County, AR · Woodson County, KS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Harlan County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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