Wheeler County, Nebraska Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Wheeler County is located in Nebraska with a total population of 785. It is the 85th most populous county out of 93 in Nebraska. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wheeler County is 59.9 years. This is 61% higher than the state median of 37.1 years. 11.7% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wheeler County is $55,893. This is 25% lower than the state median of $74,985. It is also 29% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 5.2%. This is 49% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.3%. The unemployment rate is 1.7%. This is 42% lower than the state rate of 3.0%. The median home value is $135,900. Housing costs are 39% lower than the state median of $223,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.4x, Wheeler County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 80.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 21% higher than the state average of 66.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Wheeler County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 12.3%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 2.5%.

Education

29.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 13% 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 97.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Wheeler 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.