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 2018, at 23.9%. Sarpy County had the lowest, at 5.7%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for Nebraska was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest23.9Thurston County
Lowest5.7Sarpy County
Median11.893 counties
Nebraska11History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Thurston CountyThurston County: 23.9 %23.9Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 18.3 %18.3Dawes CountyDawes County: 17.1 %17.1Loup CountyLoup County: 17.1 %17.1Sioux CountySioux County: 16.7 %16.7Sheridan CountySheridan County: 16.5 %16.5Blaine CountyBlaine County: 16.2 %16.2Hayes CountyHayes County: 16.2 %16.2Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 15.3 %15.3Garden CountyGarden County: 15.1 %15.1Thomas CountyThomas County: 15 %15Rock CountyRock County: 14.6 %14.6Morrill CountyMorrill County: 14.5 %14.5Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 14.3 %14.3Frontier CountyFrontier County: 14.2 %14.2Dundy CountyDundy County: 14 %14Sherman CountySherman County: 14 %14Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 14 %14Boyd CountyBoyd County: 13.9 %13.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 13.9 %13.9Johnson CountyJohnson County: 13.8 %13.8Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 13.8 %13.8Box Butte CountyBox Butte County: 13.7 %13.7Franklin CountyFranklin County: 13.4 %13.4Knox CountyKnox County: 13.4 %13.4Webster CountyWebster County: 13.2 %13.2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 13.1 %13.1Hall CountyHall County: 13 %13Richardson CountyRichardson County: 13 %13Arthur CountyArthur County: 12.9 %12.9Greeley CountyGreeley County: 12.8 %12.8Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 12.7 %12.7Antelope CountyAntelope County: 12.6 %12.6Furnas CountyFurnas County: 12.6 %12.6Banner CountyBanner County: 12.5 %12.5Brown CountyBrown County: 12.5 %12.5Kimball CountyKimball County: 12.5 %12.5Dakota CountyDakota County: 12.4 %12.4Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 12.4 %12.4Saline CountySaline County: 12.4 %12.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Thurston County23.9+0.6 pts
2Keya Paha County18.3+0.6 pts
3Dawes County17.1+0.1 pts
3Loup County17.1+1.3 pts
5Sioux County16.7-0.4 pts
6Sheridan County16.5+2.2 pts
7Blaine County16.2+1.7 pts
7Hayes County16.2-0.5 pts
9Hitchcock County15.3+1.6 pts
10Garden County15.1-0.5 pts
11Thomas County15+1.5 pts
12Rock County14.6+0.3 pts
13Morrill County14.5+0.2 pts
14Scotts Bluff County14.3+1 pts
15Frontier County14.2+1.1 pts
16Dundy County14-0.9 pts
16Sherman County14+2.3 pts
16Wheeler County14+4.8 pts
19Boyd County13.9+1.3 pts
19Wayne County13.9+1.7 pts
21Johnson County13.8+1.1 pts
21Pawnee County13.8+0.6 pts
23Box Butte County13.7+2.1 pts
24Franklin County13.4-0.3 pts
24Knox County13.4+0.8 pts
26Webster County13.2+0.2 pts
27Garfield County13.1+1.5 pts
28Hall County13+1 pts
28Richardson County130 pts
30Arthur County12.9-0.9 pts
31Greeley County12.8+0.3 pts
32Nemaha County12.7+0.1 pts
33Antelope County12.6+1.4 pts
33Furnas County12.6+1.4 pts
35Banner County12.5+0.8 pts
35Brown County12.5+0.4 pts
35Kimball County12.5-1.3 pts
38Dakota County12.4-0.3 pts
38Lancaster County12.4+1 pts
38Saline County12.4+1.8 pts
38Valley County12.4+0.3 pts
42Cherry County12.2+0.5 pts
43Dawson County12.1+0.6 pts
43Holt County12.1+1.3 pts
45Custer County12-0.1 pts
46Keith County11.9-0.4 pts
47Adams County11.8-0.3 pts
47Deuel County11.8-0.4 pts
47Jefferson County11.8+0.3 pts
50Madison County11.7-1.4 pts
50Nance County11.7-0.1 pts
52Douglas County11.6+0.2 pts
52McPherson County11.6-1.1 pts
54Cheyenne County11.3+1.1 pts
55Gage County11.2+0.5 pts
56Harlan County11.1+0.7 pts
57Clay County11+0.2 pts
57Nuckolls County11-0.5 pts
57Red Willow County11+0.1 pts
60Burt County10.8-0.7 pts
60Thayer County10.8-0.8 pts
62Buffalo County10.7-2 pts
62Merrick County10.7+0.5 pts
64Grant County10.6+0.6 pts
65Colfax County10.4+1.2 pts
66Perkins County10.3+1 pts
67Howard County10.2+0.2 pts
68Lincoln County10.1-1.5 pts
69Dodge County9.8-3.9 pts
69Pierce County9.8+0.3 pts
71Dixon County9.7+0.9 pts
71York County9.7-0.4 pts
73Chase County9.5+0.2 pts
73Phelps County9.5+0.7 pts
75Otoe County9.4+0.3 pts
76Logan County9.3+0.4 pts
77Boone County9.20 pts
77Kearney County9.2+0.8 pts
79Butler County9.1+0.6 pts
79Gosper County9.1-0.1 pts
81Cuming County8.9+0.6 pts
81Fillmore County8.9+0.7 pts
83Cedar County8.7+0.4 pts
84Platte County8.5-0.1 pts
84Polk County8.5+1.6 pts
86Hooker County8.3-0.3 pts
87Saunders County7.8+0.2 pts
88Stanton County7.5-0.3 pts
89Cass County7.4+1.4 pts
90Seward County7.2-0.3 pts
91Washington County6.9-0.3 pts
92Hamilton County6.50 pts
93Sarpy County5.7+0.6 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 23.9% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Sarpy County, with 5.7% in 2018.

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