Population 2,530 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Pawnee County
Household size in Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.09 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.13 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.26 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Pawnee County is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.05 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.2 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.2 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.5 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.8 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.8, Pawnee County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Pawnee County is older than the great majority of Nebraska counties.
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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.6% of households in Pawnee County, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Pawnee County
Renters in Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.8% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.1% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.8% of households in Pawnee County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 68.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.3% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.1% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 24.1% of the housing in Pawnee County, 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. Pawnee County has a higher vacancy rate than at least four in five Nebraska counties.
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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1950 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Pawnee County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1950, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Pawnee County has older homes than the great majority of Nebraska counties.
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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $505 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $545 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $548 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $855 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$350 | +$429 | +$606 |
Rent in Pawnee County runs $855 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 21.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Pawnee County
Bachelor's degrees in Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Pawnee County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.4%, against 35.6% nationally. Compared with other Nebraska counties, Pawnee County has a lower 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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.2% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.5% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.0% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Pawnee County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Of Nebraska's 93 counties, only six have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Pawnee County
| Period | Pawnee County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Pawnee County has been strong: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of Nebraska. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Pawnee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee County | 2.30 | 46.8 | 6.6% | 19.8% | 24.1% | 1950 | $855 | 21.4% | 87.0% | 2.6% |
| Richardson County | 2.19 | 45.7 | 6.9% | 22.7% | 11.2% | 1952 | $682 | 25.4% | 93.5% | 4.0% |
| Gage County | 2.30 | 42.9 | 9.1% | 26.5% | 10.7% | 1961 | $826 | 24.4% | 93.8% | 1.6% |
| Jefferson County | 2.28 | 43.9 | 5.2% | 25.1% | 14.1% | 1958 | $575 | 20.1% | 93.3% | 1.4% |
| Holt County | 2.36 | 48.7 | 10.4% | 22.8% | 22.7% | 1961 | $655 | 19.1% | 92.7% | 2.2% |
| Thayer County | 2.31 | 46.5 | 6.2% | 22.5% | 15.6% | 1954 | $710 | 23.7% | 94.7% | 2.0% |
| Gentry County | 2.55 | 40.3 | 6.2% | 25.6% | 17.1% | 1971 | $658 | 21.4% | 89.0% | 2.3% |
| Nuckolls County | 2.11 | 51.3 | 3.7% | 16.5% | 13.1% | 1952 | $551 | 22.5% | 92.3% | 0.7% |
| Webster County | 2.25 | 44.9 | 8.5% | 19.4% | 16.0% | 1947 | $719 | 21.1% | 94.9% | 0.8% |
| Grundy County | 2.48 | 40.9 | 7.0% | 30.3% | 19.7% | 1962 | $792 | 16.6% | 86.8% | 2.9% |
| Franklin County | 2.19 | 47.1 | 7.3% | 16.8% | 13.8% | 1940 | $743 | 21.1% | 93.7% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Putnam County, IL · Polk County, NE · Pondera County, MT · Pope County, IL · Powder River County, MT · Powell County, MT · Prairie County, MT · Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, AK · Pulaski County, GA · Pulaski County, IL
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 Pawnee 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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