Thomas County, Nebraska Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Thomas County is located in Nebraska with a total population of 626. It is the 88th most populous county out of 93 in Nebraska. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Thomas County is 45.1 years. This is 22% higher than the state median of 37.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Thomas County is $72,708. This is 3% lower than the state median of $74,985. It is also 7% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 4.8%. This is 53% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.3%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 1.1%. This is 63% lower than the state rate of 3.0%. The median home value is $113,000. Housing costs are 50% lower than the state median of $223,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Thomas County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 66.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Thomas County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.0%. The Black or African American population (1.3%) is well below the state average of 4.6%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.0%) is well below the state average of 12.3%.

Education

26.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 21% 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 93.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Thomas 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.