Phelps County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Phelps County, Nebraska had an estimated 9,042 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,968, across 540 square miles. County output reached $1.03 bn in 2024, 353 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Phelps County
How many people live in Phelps County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,009
- Households3,916
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$68,919
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$815 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$194,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,101
- Population under 182,187
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,910
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,912
- Civilian labor force4,667
- Unemployment rate1.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.4 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties30th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2561st of 3,222
Phelps County is the 30th 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 24.3 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Phelps County
Is Phelps County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,042
- Census 2020 base population8,968
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.83 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-57
- Births, 2024120
- Deaths, 2024101
- Natural change, 202419
- Net domestic migration, 2024-85
- Net international migration, 202410
- Total net migration, 2024-75
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202410
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1542nd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Phelps County
Where are people moving to Phelps County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving245
- People arriving, from those returns412
- Tax returns filed by households leaving186
- Net household movement59
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-280,000
- Average income of an arriving household$48,294
- Average income of a leaving household$65,118
- Largest single originBuffalo County (65 households)
- Largest single destinationBuffalo County (40 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 65 | 123 | $3.0 m |
| Lancaster County | 23 | 33 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $16,824 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. 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.
Phelps County
What is the Phelps County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.02 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.8 percent
- GDP change over five years25.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Nebraska areas BEA publishes24th of 93
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1819th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$114,403
Output grew 0.8 percent in the latest year and 25.0 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.
Phelps County
Employment by industry in Phelps County
- Covered employment, annual average4,827
- Establishments reporting421
- Average annual pay$57,718
- Average weekly wage$1,110
- Wholesale trade, employment973
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$78,044
- Retail trade, employment438
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,318
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment422
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$57,469
- Accommodation and food services, employment265
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,467
- Manufacturing, employment240
- Construction, employment230
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 973 | 41 | $78,044 |
| Retail trade | 438 | 42 | $35,318 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 422 | 67 | $57,469 |
| Accommodation and food services | 265 | 23 | $19,467 |
| Manufacturing | 240 | 6 | $67,487 |
| Construction | 230 | 33 | $58,573 |
| Finance and insurance | 159 | 28 | $73,684 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 115 | 27 | $53,942 |
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 973 jobs, 20.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Phelps County
How many businesses are in Phelps County?
- Establishments, all industries353
- Employment at those establishments4,147
- Annual payroll$235.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents39.2
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.
Phelps County
Building permits in Phelps County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$9.2 m
- Single family units authorized7
- Multifamily units authorized2
- Multifamily share of units22.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$1,022,222
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.3
Single-family homes are 77.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Phelps County
SBA loans in Phelps County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$547,667
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- Largest single approval$1,443,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)10
- Jobs per approval3.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term84 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 shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Phelps County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Phelps County
Do SBA loans in Phelps County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Only 1 loan has 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.
Phelps County
SBA lending by place in Phelps County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Holdrege, approvals2
- Bertrand, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Holdrege | 2 | $1,543,000 |
| Bertrand | 1 | $100,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Phelps County
How large is Phelps County?
- Land area540 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties72nd of 93
- Width, east to west24.4 mi
- Height, north to south23.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land17
- Establishments per square mile0.65
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.
Phelps County
Flood risk in Phelps County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Phelps County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 310465
- 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 Phelps 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 Phelps County (community 310465), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Phelps 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 Phelps 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 Phelps County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,009
- Households3,916
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$68,919
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Phelps County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Phelps County, Nebraska?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,042 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,009, in 3,916 households, ranking 30th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Phelps County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,968, to 9,042 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 120 births against 101 deaths, with net migration of -75. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Phelps County?
$68,919. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $815 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Phelps County?
353 establishments, employing 4,147 people with an annual payroll of $235.8 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 Phelps County?
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 973 jobs, 20.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,827 jobs at an average annual pay of $57,718, or $1,110 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Phelps County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $1.6 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Phelps County?
9 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.2 m. Multifamily was 22.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Phelps 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 Phelps County come from?
The largest single origin is Buffalo County, with 65 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,294 against $65,118 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Phelps 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 Phelps 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.
Phelps County
Cities and places in Phelps.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Phelps 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holdrege | city | 5,546 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Bertrand | village | 718 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Loomis | village | 375 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Funk | village | 244 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Atlanta | village | 133 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby