Cherry County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Cherry County, Nebraska had an estimated 5,558 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,458, across 5,960 square miles. County output reached $484.9 m in 2024, 214 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $1.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cherry County
How many people live in Cherry County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,498
- Households2,233
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$66,270
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$916 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$152,200
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,902
- Population under 181,289
- Share under 1823.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,230
- Share 65 and over22.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,979
- Civilian labor force2,931
- Unemployment rate0.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.6 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties51st of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2854th of 3,222
Cherry County is the 51st largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.4 percent against 22.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cherry County
Is Cherry County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,558
- Census 2020 base population5,458
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.83 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202431
- Births, 202474
- Deaths, 202458
- Natural change, 202416
- Net domestic migration, 2024-6
- Net international migration, 202420
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1227th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.83 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cherry County
Where are people moving to Cherry County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving139
- People arriving, from those returns239
- Tax returns filed by households leaving132
- Net household movement7
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$48,173
- Average income of a leaving household$66,061
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $17,888 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Cherry County
What is the Cherry County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$484.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$439.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.3 percent
- GDP change over five years55.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Nebraska areas BEA publishes47th of 93
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2420th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$88,194
Output grew 10.3 percent in the latest year and 55.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Cherry County
Employment by industry in Cherry County
- Covered employment, annual average2,323
- Establishments reporting294
- Average annual pay$41,350
- Average weekly wage$795
- Retail trade, employment333
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,408
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment296
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$44,966
- Construction, employment124
- Construction, average annual pay$50,596
- Health care and social assistance, employment124
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$47,015
- Wholesale trade, employment104
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment70
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 333 | 36 | $30,408 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 296 | 46 | $44,966 |
| Construction | 124 | 28 | $50,596 |
| Health care and social assistance | 124 | 16 | $47,015 |
| Wholesale trade | 104 | 8 | $31,359 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 70 | 20 | $41,427 |
| Manufacturing | 66 | 11 | $31,678 |
| Finance and insurance | 42 | 14 | $50,595 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 333 jobs, 14.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cherry County
How many businesses are in Cherry County?
- Establishments, all industries214
- Employment at those establishments1,492
- Annual payroll$59.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents38.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cherry County
Building permits in Cherry County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202418
- Declared construction value permitted$4.3 m
- Single family units authorized18
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$237,609
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.1
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cherry County
SBA loans in Cherry County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$284,833
- Median 7(a) approval$255,000
- Largest single approval$704,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)15
- Jobs per approval2.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term210 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSporting Goods Retailers (4)
- Most active lenderUnion Bank and Trust Company (4)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherry County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cherry County
Do SBA loans in Cherry County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherry County
How large is Cherry County?
- Land area5,960 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties1st of 93
- Width, east to west97.2 mi
- Height, north to south63.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary10
- Residents per square mile of land1
- Establishments per square mile0.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cherry County
Flood risk in Cherry County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cherry County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Cherry County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 50.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Cherry County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Cherry County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,498
- Households2,233
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$66,270
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Cherry County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cherry County, Nebraska?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,558 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,498, in 2,233 households, ranking 51st of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cherry County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.83 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,458, to 5,558 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 74 births against 58 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cherry County?
$66,270. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,200, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $916 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cherry County?
214 establishments, employing 1,492 people with an annual payroll of $59.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cherry County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 333 jobs, 14.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,323 jobs at an average annual pay of $41,350, or $795 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cherry County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $1.7 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $255,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cherry County?
18 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cherry County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Are traffic counts available for Cherry County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Cherry County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Cherry County
Cities and places in Cherry.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cherry County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valentine | city | 2,633 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Kilgore | village | 135 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cody | village | 125 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Merriman | village | 117 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crookston | village | 45 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wood Lake | village | 16 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nenzel | village | 14 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brownlee | CDP | 2 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |