Otoe County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Otoe County, Nebraska had an estimated 16,591 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 15,912, across 616 square miles. County output reached $1.79 bn in 2024, 470 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $3.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Otoe County
How many people live in Otoe County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,241
- Households6,383
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$82,188
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$914 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$201,600
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,140
- Population under 183,902
- Share under 1824.0 percent
- Population 65 and over3,347
- Share 65 and over20.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,992
- Civilian labor force8,510
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.0 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties19th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2081st of 3,222
Otoe County is the 19th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.0 percent against 20.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Otoe County
Is Otoe County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,591
- Census 2020 base population15,912
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.27 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024143
- Births, 2024176
- Deaths, 2024211
- Natural change, 2024-35
- Net domestic migration, 2024-13
- Net international migration, 2024192
- Total net migration, 2024179
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024248
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents643rd of 3,144
The county has grown 4.27 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Otoe County
Where are people moving to Otoe County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving424
- People arriving, from those returns781
- Tax returns filed by households leaving381
- Net household movement43
- Adjusted gross income arriving$25.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$6.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$61,075
- Average income of a leaving household$52,236
- Largest single originLancaster County (127 households)
- Largest single destinationLancaster County (86 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County | 127 | 234 | $7.8 m |
| Cass County | 35 | 73 | $2.1 m |
| Douglas County | 31 | 51 | $1.9 m |
| Sarpy County | 28 | 44 | $2.0 m |
Households arriving report $8,839 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 Lancaster 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.
Otoe County
What is the Otoe County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.79 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.82 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.6 percent
- GDP change over five years37.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Nebraska areas BEA publishes15th of 93
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1368th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$110,287
Output grew -1.6 percent in the latest year and 37.4 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.
Otoe County
Employment by industry in Otoe County
- Covered employment, annual average6,224
- Establishments reporting508
- Average annual pay$53,027
- Average weekly wage$1,020
- Manufacturing, employment1,282
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,238
- Retail trade, employment730
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,393
- Accommodation and food services, employment672
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,987
- Health care and social assistance, employment618
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,187
- Construction, employment292
- Wholesale trade, employment218
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,282 | 13 | $60,238 |
| Retail trade | 730 | 65 | $33,393 |
| Accommodation and food services | 672 | 43 | $22,987 |
| Health care and social assistance | 618 | 56 | $51,187 |
| Construction | 292 | 61 | $59,680 |
| Wholesale trade | 218 | 24 | $71,244 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 202 | 9 | $41,268 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 166 | 23 | $63,223 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,282 jobs, 20.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Otoe County
How many businesses are in Otoe County?
- Establishments, all industries470
- Employment at those establishments5,041
- Annual payroll$223.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.9
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.
Otoe County
Building permits in Otoe County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202429
- Declared construction value permitted$12.2 m
- Single family units authorized29
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$422,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.5
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.
Otoe County
SBA loans in Otoe County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$279,621
- Median 7(a) approval$113,850
- Largest single approval$1,377,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)68
- Jobs per approval4.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank Nebraska (4)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.2 m
- Average 504 approval$526,167
- Median 504 approval$340,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval6.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.7
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$7.1 m
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.
Otoe County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Otoe County
Do SBA loans in Otoe County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Only 5 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.
Otoe County
SBA lending by place in Otoe County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending6
- Nebraska City, approvals4
- Syracuse, approvals4
- Dunbar, approvals2
- Palmyra, approvals2
- Kearney, approvals1
- Unadilla, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska City | 4 | $1,441,400 |
| Syracuse | 4 | $346,000 |
| Dunbar | 2 | $475,000 |
| Palmyra | 2 | $238,500 |
| Kearney | 1 | $1,377,800 |
| Unadilla | 1 | $36,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Otoe County
How large is Otoe County?
- Land area616 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties43rd of 93
- Width, east to west39.6 mi
- Height, north to south18 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land26
- Establishments per square mile0.76
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.
Otoe County
Flood risk in Otoe County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Otoe County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 310462
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP10
- NFIP participation rate90.9 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Otoe 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 Otoe County (community 310462), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Otoe 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. 90.9 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 Otoe 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 Otoe County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,241
- Households6,383
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$82,188
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Otoe County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Otoe County, Nebraska?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,591 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,241, in 6,383 households, ranking 19th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Otoe County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.27 percent since the 2020 census base of 15,912, to 16,591 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 176 births against 211 deaths, with net migration of 179. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Otoe County?
$82,188. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,600, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $914 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Otoe County?
470 establishments, employing 5,041 people with an annual payroll of $223.4 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 Otoe County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,282 jobs, 20.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 6,224 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,027, or $1,020 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Otoe County?
14 7(a) approvals totaling $3.9 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $113,850, plus 6 504 approvals worth $3.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Otoe County?
29 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Otoe 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 Otoe County come from?
The largest single origin is Lancaster County, with 127 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,075 against $52,236 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Otoe 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 Otoe 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.
Otoe County
Cities and places in Otoe.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Otoe County. All 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska City | city | 7,369 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Syracuse | city | 1,990 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Palmyra | village | 589 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Unadilla | village | 329 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Douglas | village | 269 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dunbar | village | 266 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodland Hills | CDP | 205 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Otoe | village | 160 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Talmage | village | 155 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lorton | village | 72 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Burr | village | 41 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 14 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Otoe County, the largest being Kearney (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.