Kearney County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Kearney County, Nebraska had an estimated 6,749 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,686, across 516 square miles. County output reached $618.2 m in 2024, 180 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $237,500 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Kearney County
How many people live in Kearney County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,713
- Households2,814
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$78,631
- Median age40.2
- Median gross rent$857 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$223,400
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,633
- Population under 181,663
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,379
- Share 65 and over20.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,671
- Civilian labor force3,650
- Unemployment rate1.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.3 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties43rd of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2757th of 3,222
Kearney County is the 43rd largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 20.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kearney County
Is Kearney County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20246,749
- Census 2020 base population6,686
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.94 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202422
- Births, 202479
- Deaths, 202471
- Natural change, 20248
- Net domestic migration, 202414
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 202413
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20247
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1501st of 3,144
The county has grown 0.94 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.
Kearney County
Where are people moving to Kearney County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving166
- People arriving, from those returns272
- Tax returns filed by households leaving151
- Net household movement15
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$58,114
- Average income of a leaving household$48,053
- Largest single originBuffalo County (85 households)
- Largest single destinationBuffalo County (69 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 85 | 133 | $3.7 m |
Households arriving report $10,061 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Buffalo County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Kearney County
What is the Kearney County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$618.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$620.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.3 percent
- GDP change over five years76.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Nebraska areas BEA publishes36th of 93
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2252nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$92,085
Output grew -0.3 percent in the latest year and 76.5 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.
Kearney County
Employment by industry in Kearney County
- Covered employment, annual average1,999
- Establishments reporting208
- Average annual pay$48,822
- Average weekly wage$939
- Manufacturing, employment334
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$56,865
- Retail trade, employment139
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,152
- Wholesale trade, employment132
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$77,580
- Construction, employment80
- Construction, average annual pay$40,250
- Accommodation and food services, employment78
- Finance and insurance, employment68
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 334 | 10 | $56,865 |
| Retail trade | 139 | 18 | $31,152 |
| Wholesale trade | 132 | 15 | $77,580 |
| Construction | 80 | 20 | $40,250 |
| Accommodation and food services | 78 | 10 | $15,978 |
| Finance and insurance | 68 | 13 | $63,916 |
| Other services, except public administration | 60 | 13 | $33,400 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 42 | 6 | $19,266 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 334 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kearney County
How many businesses are in Kearney County?
- Establishments, all industries180
- Employment at those establishments1,627
- Annual payroll$74.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.8
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.
Kearney County
Building permits in Kearney County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$3.1 m
- Single family units authorized9
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$346,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.2
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.
Kearney County
SBA loans in Kearney County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$237,500
- Average 7(a) approval$59,375
- Median 7(a) approval$54,250
- Largest single approval$114,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7
- Jobs per approval1.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term78 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLogging (4)
- Most active lenderThe Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$372,000
- Average 504 approval$372,000
- Median 504 approval$372,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved5.4
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$609,500
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kearney County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Kearney County
Do SBA loans in Kearney County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Only 2 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.
Kearney County
How large is Kearney County?
- Land area516 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties75th of 93
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south23.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land13
- Establishments per square mile0.35
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.
Kearney County
Flood risk in Kearney County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Kearney County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 310448
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate83.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Kearney County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Kearney County (community 310448), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Kearney County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 83.3 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 Kearney 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 Kearney County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,713
- Households2,814
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$78,631
- Median age40.2
Common questions
Kearney County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kearney County, Nebraska?
The Census Bureau estimates 6,749 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 6,713, in 2,814 households, ranking 43rd of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kearney County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.94 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,686, to 6,749 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 79 births against 71 deaths, with net migration of 13. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kearney County?
$78,631. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $223,400, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $857 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Kearney County?
180 establishments, employing 1,627 people with an annual payroll of $74.7 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 Kearney County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 334 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,999 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,822, or $939 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kearney County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $237,500 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $54,250, plus 1 504 approvals worth $372,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Kearney County?
9 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kearney County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kearney County come from?
The largest single origin is Buffalo County, with 85 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,114 against $48,053 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kearney 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 Kearney 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.
Kearney County
Cities and places in Kearney.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Kearney County. All 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minden | city | 3,108 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Axtell | village | 818 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wilcox | village | 336 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Heartwell | village | 97 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Norman | village | 36 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby