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 2019, at 24.9%. Cass County had the lowest, at 5.3%. The median was 11% and the figure for Nebraska was 9.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.9Thurston County
Lowest5.3Cass County
Median1193 counties
Nebraska9.9History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Thurston CountyThurston County: 24.9 %24.9Keya Paha CountyKeya Paha County: 18.9 %18.9Dawes CountyDawes County: 16.4 %16.4Blaine CountyBlaine County: 15.9 %15.9Sioux CountySioux County: 15.9 %15.9Loup CountyLoup County: 15.2 %15.2Garden CountyGarden County: 15 %15Hayes CountyHayes County: 15 %15Sheridan CountySheridan County: 14.5 %14.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 14.3 %14.3Boyd CountyBoyd County: 14.1 %14.1Rock CountyRock County: 13.9 %13.9Thomas CountyThomas County: 13.9 %13.9Arthur CountyArthur County: 13.6 %13.6Dundy CountyDundy County: 13.4 %13.4Morrill CountyMorrill County: 13.2 %13.2Pawnee CountyPawnee County: 13.1 %13.1Scotts Bluff CountyScotts Bluff County: 13 %13Frontier CountyFrontier County: 12.9 %12.9McPherson CountyMcPherson County: 12.6 %12.6Greeley CountyGreeley County: 12.5 %12.5Sherman CountySherman County: 12.4 %12.4Richardson CountyRichardson County: 12.3 %12.3Webster CountyWebster County: 12.3 %12.3Wheeler CountyWheeler County: 12.3 %12.3Antelope CountyAntelope County: 12.2 %12.2Furnas CountyFurnas County: 12.2 %12.2Kimball CountyKimball County: 12.2 %12.2Knox CountyKnox County: 12.2 %12.2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 12.1 %12.1Red Willow CountyRed Willow County: 12 %12Dawson CountyDawson County: 11.9 %11.9Custer CountyCuster County: 11.8 %11.8Nemaha CountyNemaha County: 11.8 %11.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 11.8 %11.8Brown CountyBrown County: 11.6 %11.6Buffalo CountyBuffalo County: 11.6 %11.6Banner CountyBanner County: 11.3 %11.3Hitchcock CountyHitchcock County: 11.3 %11.3Deuel CountyDeuel County: 11.2 %11.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Thurston County24.9+1 pts
2Keya Paha County18.9+0.6 pts
3Dawes County16.4-0.7 pts
4Blaine County15.9-0.3 pts
4Sioux County15.9-0.8 pts
6Loup County15.2-1.9 pts
7Garden County15-0.1 pts
7Hayes County15-1.2 pts
9Sheridan County14.5-2 pts
10Franklin County14.3+0.9 pts
11Boyd County14.1+0.2 pts
12Rock County13.9-0.7 pts
12Thomas County13.9-1.1 pts
14Arthur County13.6+0.7 pts
15Dundy County13.4-0.6 pts
16Morrill County13.2-1.3 pts
17Pawnee County13.1-0.7 pts
18Scotts Bluff County13-1.3 pts
19Frontier County12.9-1.3 pts
20McPherson County12.6+1 pts
21Greeley County12.5-0.3 pts
22Sherman County12.4-1.6 pts
23Richardson County12.3-0.7 pts
23Webster County12.3-0.9 pts
23Wheeler County12.3-1.7 pts
26Antelope County12.2-0.4 pts
26Furnas County12.2-0.4 pts
26Kimball County12.2-0.3 pts
26Knox County12.2-1.2 pts
30Garfield County12.1-1 pts
31Red Willow County12+1 pts
32Dawson County11.9-0.2 pts
33Custer County11.8-0.2 pts
33Nemaha County11.8-0.9 pts
33Wayne County11.8-2.1 pts
36Brown County11.6-0.9 pts
36Buffalo County11.6+0.9 pts
38Banner County11.3-1.2 pts
38Hitchcock County11.3-4 pts
40Deuel County11.2-0.6 pts
40Gage County11.20 pts
40Johnson County11.2-2.6 pts
40Nuckolls County11.2+0.2 pts
44Holt County11.1-1 pts
44Keith County11.1-0.8 pts
46Harlan County11-0.1 pts
46Merrick County11+0.3 pts
48Lincoln County10.8+0.7 pts
48Thayer County10.80 pts
50Cherry County10.7-1.5 pts
50Lancaster County10.7-1.7 pts
52Adams County10.6-1.2 pts
52Clay County10.6-0.4 pts
52Dakota County10.6-1.8 pts
55Valley County10.4-2 pts
56Box Butte County10.3-3.4 pts
56Nance County10.3-1.4 pts
58Douglas County10.2-1.4 pts
58Hall County10.2-2.8 pts
58Madison County10.2-1.5 pts
61Burt County10.1-0.7 pts
61Cheyenne County10.1-1.2 pts
61Howard County10.1-0.1 pts
64Boone County10+0.8 pts
64Phelps County10+0.5 pts
66Grant County9.6-1 pts
67Dodge County9.5-0.3 pts
67Jefferson County9.5-2.3 pts
67Perkins County9.5-0.8 pts
70York County9.4-0.3 pts
71Pierce County9.3-0.5 pts
72Saline County9.2-3.2 pts
73Chase County9.1-0.4 pts
74Platte County9+0.5 pts
75Cuming County8.90 pts
75Gosper County8.9-0.2 pts
75Logan County8.9-0.4 pts
78Dixon County8.7-1 pts
79Cedar County8.6-0.1 pts
80Fillmore County8.5-0.4 pts
81Otoe County8.3-1.1 pts
82Butler County8.2-0.9 pts
82Colfax County8.2-2.2 pts
82Hooker County8.2-0.1 pts
85Kearney County7.7-1.5 pts
86Seward County7.20 pts
87Stanton County7-0.5 pts
88Polk County6.9-1.6 pts
88Saunders County6.9-0.9 pts
90Washington County6.8-0.1 pts
91Hamilton County6.50 pts
92Sarpy County5.9+0.2 pts
93Cass County5.3-2.1 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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 24.9% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Cass County, with 5.3% in 2019.

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