Phelps County, Nebraska Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Phelps County is located in Nebraska with a total population of 8,983. It is the 30th most populous county out of 93 in Nebraska. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Phelps County is 40.7 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 37.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Phelps County is $65,988. This is 12% lower than the state median of $74,985. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 13.6%. This is 32% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.3%. The unemployment rate is 1.2%. This is 61% lower than the state rate of 3.0%. The median home value is $173,300. Housing costs are 23% lower than the state median of $223,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Phelps County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 66.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Phelps County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.1% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.5%. The Black or African American population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 4.6%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 2.5%.

Education

26.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 22% lower than the state rate of 34.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Phelps County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Nebraska and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.