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 2016, at 25.3%. Sarpy County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 11.7% and the figure for Nebraska was 11.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.3Thurston County
Lowest5.8Sarpy County
Median11.793 counties
Nebraska11.3History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Thurston CountyThurston County: 25.3 %25.3Dawes CountyDawes County: 16.9 %16.9Hayes CountyHayes County: 16.8 %16.8Morrill CountyMorrill County: 16.5 %16.5Garden CountyGarden County: 16.3 %16.3Sheridan CountySheridan County: 16.2 %16.2Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 16.1 %16.1Loup CountyLoup County: 16 %16Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 15.9 %15.9Blaine CountyBlaine County: 15.5 %15.5Sioux CountySioux County: 15.5 %15.5Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 15.4 %15.4Boyd CountyBoyd County: 14.7 %14.7Greeley CountyGreeley County: 14.3 %14.3Madison CountyMadison County: 14.3 %14.3Furnas CountyFurnas County: 14 %14Thomas CountyThomas County: 13.9 %13.9Brown CountyBrown County: 13.8 %13.8Rock CountyRock County: 13.8 %13.8Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 13.4 %13.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 13.3 %13.3Kimball CountyKimball County: 13 %13Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 12.9 %12.9Knox CountyKnox County: 12.9 %12.9Webster CountyWebster County: 12.9 %12.9Garfield CountyGarfield County: 12.8 %12.8Keith CountyKeith County: 12.8 %12.8Adams CountyAdams County: 12.7 %12.7Dawson CountyDawson County: 12.7 %12.7Hall CountyHall County: 12.7 %12.7Johnson CountyJohnson County: 12.6 %12.6Banner CountyBanner County: 12.5 %12.5Frontier CountyFrontier County: 12.5 %12.5Nance CountyNance County: 12.5 %12.5Nuckolls CountyNuckolls County: 12.5 %12.5Douglas CountyDouglas County: 12.4 %12.4Dundy CountyDundy County: 12.4 %12.4Richardson CountyRichardson County: 12.4 %12.4Sherman CountySherman County: 12.3 %12.3Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 12.2 %12.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Thurston County25.3-0.3 pts
2Dawes County16.9-0.9 pts
3Hayes County16.8+2.1 pts
4Morrill County16.5+3 pts
5Garden County16.3+1.5 pts
6Sheridan County16.2+1.9 pts
7Keya Paha County16.1+1 pts
8Loup County16+0.7 pts
9Scotts Bluff County15.9+0.8 pts
10Blaine County15.5-1.1 pts
10Sioux County15.5+1.5 pts
12Pawnee County15.4+2.2 pts
13Boyd County14.7+2.5 pts
14Greeley County14.3+2.1 pts
14Madison County14.3+0.5 pts
16Furnas County14+0.6 pts
17Thomas County13.9+1.3 pts
18Brown County13.8+1.2 pts
18Rock County13.8-0.4 pts
20Nemaha County13.4+0.3 pts
21Franklin County13.30 pts
22Kimball County13+0.3 pts
23Hitchcock County12.9-1.2 pts
23Knox County12.9-0.8 pts
23Webster County12.90 pts
26Garfield County12.8+0.9 pts
26Keith County12.8+1.9 pts
28Adams County12.70 pts
28Dawson County12.7+0.1 pts
28Hall County12.7-0.8 pts
31Johnson County12.6-0.6 pts
32Banner County12.5+0.6 pts
32Frontier County12.5-0.1 pts
32Nance County12.5-0.7 pts
32Nuckolls County12.50 pts
36Douglas County12.4-2.1 pts
36Dundy County12.4-0.8 pts
36Richardson County12.4-0.6 pts
39Sherman County12.3-0.2 pts
40Lancaster County12.2-1.3 pts
40McPherson County12.2+0.1 pts
42Harlan County12.1+0.1 pts
43Dakota County12-2.6 pts
43Wayne County120 pts
45Arthur County11.9-1.3 pts
45Cherry County11.9+0.2 pts
47Dodge County11.7+0.1 pts
48Custer County11.60 pts
48Valley County11.6-0.6 pts
50Box Butte County11.5-0.1 pts
50Deuel County11.5+0.4 pts
50Saline County11.5+1.5 pts
53Wheeler County11.40 pts
54Antelope County11.3-0.9 pts
54Clay County11.3+1.1 pts
54Gage County11.3+1.1 pts
57Buffalo County11.2-1.8 pts
57Thayer County11.2+1 pts
59Burt County10.7-0.9 pts
59Jefferson County10.7-1.6 pts
59Red Willow County10.7-1.1 pts
62Holt County10.6-1.3 pts
62Perkins County10.6+0.5 pts
64Howard County10.5+0.1 pts
64York County10.5+0.4 pts
66Merrick County10.40 pts
67Logan County10.3+1.4 pts
68Boone County10.1+0.9 pts
69Grant County10+0.8 pts
70Colfax County9.8-1.1 pts
70Fillmore County9.80 pts
70Gosper County9.8+0.7 pts
73Pierce County9.6+0.2 pts
74Otoe County9.5-1.1 pts
75Cedar County9.40 pts
75Cheyenne County9.4+0.4 pts
75Lincoln County9.4-2.9 pts
78Chase County9.3+1.1 pts
79Phelps County9.2-1.2 pts
80Kearney County9.1+0.5 pts
81Platte County9+0.7 pts
82Butler County8.9+0.8 pts
83Cuming County8.7-1.2 pts
84Dixon County8.5-0.8 pts
85Hooker County8.2+0.1 pts
86Polk County8+0.1 pts
87Seward County7.9+0.4 pts
88Hamilton County7.7+0.4 pts
89Cass County7.6+0.5 pts
89Stanton County7.6-0.9 pts
91Saunders County7.4-1.4 pts
92Washington County7+0.3 pts
93Sarpy County5.80 pts

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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Nebraska by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Thurston County, with 25.3% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Sarpy County, with 5.8% in 2016.

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