Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Nebraska

Counties in Nebraska by poverty rate

Thurston County had the highest poverty rate of 93 counties in 2015, at 25.6%. Sarpy County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 12% and the figure for Nebraska was 12.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.6Thurston County
Lowest5.8Sarpy County
Median1293 counties
Nebraska12.2History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Thurston CountyThurston County: 25.6 %25.6Dawes CountyDawes County: 17.8 %17.8Blaine CountyBlaine County: 16.6 %16.6Loup CountyLoup County: 15.3 %15.3Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 15.1 %15.1Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 15.1 %15.1Garden CountyGarden County: 14.8 %14.8Hayes CountyHayes County: 14.7 %14.7Dakota CountyDakota County: 14.6 %14.6Douglas CountyDouglas County: 14.5 %14.5Sheridan CountySheridan County: 14.3 %14.3Rock CountyRock County: 14.2 %14.2Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 14.1 %14.1Sioux CountySioux County: 14 %14Madison CountyMadison County: 13.8 %13.8Knox CountyKnox County: 13.7 %13.7Hall CountyHall County: 13.5 %13.5Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 13.5 %13.5Morrill CountyMorrill County: 13.5 %13.5Furnas CountyFurnas County: 13.4 %13.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 13.3 %13.3Arthur CountyArthur County: 13.2 %13.2Dundy CountyDundy County: 13.2 %13.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 13.2 %13.2Nance CountyNance County: 13.2 %13.2Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 13.2 %13.2Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 13.1 %13.1Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 13 %13Richardson CountyRichardson County: 13 %13Webster CountyWebster County: 12.9 %12.9Adams CountyAdams County: 12.7 %12.7Kimball CountyKimball County: 12.7 %12.7Brown CountyBrown County: 12.6 %12.6Dawson CountyDawson County: 12.6 %12.6Frontier CountyFrontier County: 12.6 %12.6Thomas CountyThomas County: 12.6 %12.6Nuckolls CountyNuckolls County: 12.5 %12.5Sherman CountySherman County: 12.5 %12.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 12.3 %12.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 12.3 %12.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Thurston County25.6
2Dawes County17.8
3Blaine County16.6
4Loup County15.3
5Keya Paha County15.1
5Scotts Bluff County15.1
7Garden County14.8
8Hayes County14.7
9Dakota County14.6
10Douglas County14.5
11Sheridan County14.3
12Rock County14.2
13Hitchcock County14.1
14Sioux County14
15Madison County13.8
16Knox County13.7
17Hall County13.5
17Lancaster County13.5
17Morrill County13.5
20Furnas County13.4
21Franklin County13.3
22Arthur County13.2
22Dundy County13.2
22Johnson County13.2
22Nance County13.2
22Pawnee County13.2
27Nemaha County13.1
28Buffalo County13
28Richardson County13
30Webster County12.9
31Adams County12.7
31Kimball County12.7
33Brown County12.6
33Dawson County12.6
33Frontier County12.6
33Thomas County12.6
37Nuckolls County12.5
37Sherman County12.5
39Jefferson County12.3
39Lincoln County12.3
41Antelope County12.2
41Boyd County12.2
41Greeley County12.2
41Valley County12.2
45McPherson County12.1
46Harlan County12
46Wayne County12
48Banner County11.9
48Garfield County11.9
48Holt County11.9
51Red Willow County11.8
52Cherry County11.7
53Box Butte County11.6
53Burt County11.6
53Custer County11.6
53Dodge County11.6
57Wheeler County11.4
58Deuel County11.1
59Colfax County10.9
59Keith County10.9
61Otoe County10.6
62Howard County10.4
62Merrick County10.4
62Phelps County10.4
65Clay County10.2
65Gage County10.2
65Thayer County10.2
68Perkins County10.1
68York County10.1
70Saline County10
71Cuming County9.9
72Fillmore County9.8
73Cedar County9.4
73Pierce County9.4
75Dixon County9.3
76Boone County9.2
76Grant County9.2
78Gosper County9.1
79Cheyenne County9
80Logan County8.9
81Saunders County8.8
82Kearney County8.6
83Stanton County8.5
84Platte County8.3
85Chase County8.2
86Butler County8.1
86Hooker County8.1
88Polk County7.9
89Seward County7.5
90Hamilton County7.3
91Cass County7.1
92Washington County6.7
93Sarpy County5.8

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Thurston County, with 25.6% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Sarpy County, with 5.8% in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Nebraska: more rankings