Thurston County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Thurston County, Nebraska had an estimated 6,637 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,774, across 394 square miles. County output reached $605.3 m in 2024, 125 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $725,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Thurston County
How many people live in Thurston County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,627
- Households1,990
- Average household size3.33
- Median household income$69,177
- Median age29.2
- Median gross rent$699 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$114,600
- Home value to household income1.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,661
- Population under 182,273
- Share under 1834.3 percent
- Population 65 and over834
- Share 65 and over12.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,520
- Civilian labor force3,038
- Unemployment rate10.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.8 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties44th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2766th of 3,222
Thurston County is the 44th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 1.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 34.3 percent against 12.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Thurston County
Is Thurston County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20246,637
- Census 2020 base population6,774
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.02 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202475
- Births, 2024142
- Deaths, 2024105
- Natural change, 202437
- Net domestic migration, 202421
- Net international migration, 202416
- Total net migration, 202437
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-305
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2501st of 3,144
The county has lost 2.02 percent of its population 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.
Thurston County
Where are people moving to Thurston County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving105
- People arriving, from those returns195
- Tax returns filed by households leaving132
- Net household movement-27
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$471,000
- Average income of an arriving household$49,495
- Average income of a leaving household$35,803
- Largest single destinationWoodbury County (25 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $13,692 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Thurston County
What is the Thurston County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$605.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$648.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-6.6 percent
- GDP change over five years41.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Nebraska areas BEA publishes37th of 93
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2267th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$91,343
Output grew -6.6 percent in the latest year and 41.2 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.
Thurston County
Employment by industry in Thurston County
- Covered employment, annual average3,471
- Establishments reporting164
- Average annual pay$57,494
- Average weekly wage$1,106
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment152
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$62,188
- Wholesale trade, employment149
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$73,505
- Manufacturing, employment138
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$58,482
- Health care and social assistance, employment115
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$49,911
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment93
- Retail trade, employment88
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 152 | 7 | $62,188 |
| Wholesale trade | 149 | 12 | $73,505 |
| Manufacturing | 138 | 7 | $58,482 |
| Health care and social assistance | 115 | 10 | $49,911 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 93 | 20 | $45,928 |
| Retail trade | 88 | 14 | $26,339 |
| Construction | 43 | 9 | $66,272 |
| Finance and insurance | 40 | 8 | $61,966 |
Administrative and support and waste management services is the largest private sector at 152 jobs, 4.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Thurston County
How many businesses are in Thurston County?
- Establishments, all industries125
- Employment at those establishments2,687
- Annual payroll$199.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.9
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.
Thurston County
Building permits in Thurston County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$320,650
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,650
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.5
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.
Thurston County
SBA loans in Thurston County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$725,000
- Average 7(a) approval$241,667
- Median 7(a) approval$255,000
- Largest single approval$450,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)30
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$235,000
- Average 504 approval$235,000
- Median 504 approval$235,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.3
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$960,000
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.
Thurston County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Thurston County
Do SBA loans in Thurston County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
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.
Thurston County
SBA lending by place in Thurston County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Norfolk, approvals1
- Pender, approvals1
- Walthill, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 1 | $450,000 |
| Pender | 1 | $255,000 |
| Walthill | 1 | $20,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Thurston County
How large is Thurston County?
- Land area394 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties88th of 93
- Width, east to west28.2 mi
- Height, north to south18.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land17
- Establishments per square mile0.32
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.
Thurston County
Flood risk in Thurston County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Thurston County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 310481
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Thurston 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 Thurston County (community 310481), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Thurston 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. 75.0 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 Thurston 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 Thurston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,627
- Households1,990
- Average household size3.33
- Median household income$69,177
- Median age29.2
Common questions
Thurston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Thurston County, Nebraska?
The Census Bureau estimates 6,637 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 6,627, in 1,990 households, ranking 44th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Thurston County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.02 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,774, to 6,637 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 142 births against 105 deaths, with net migration of 37. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Thurston County?
$69,177. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $114,600, which is 1.7 times income, and median gross rent is $699 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Thurston County?
125 establishments, employing 2,687 people with an annual payroll of $199.0 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 Thurston County?
Administrative and support and waste management services is the largest private sector at 152 jobs, 4.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,471 jobs at an average annual pay of $57,494, or $1,106 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Thurston County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $725,000 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $255,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $235,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Thurston County?
1 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $320,650. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Thurston 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.
Are traffic counts available for Thurston 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 Thurston 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.
Thurston County
Cities and places in Thurston.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Thurston County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pender | village | 1,379 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Winnebago | village | 1,058 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Emerson | village | 885 | None recorded | 26.0 percent here, 47.4 percent Dixon County, 26.6 percent Dakota County |
| Walthill | village | 812 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Macy | CDP | 637 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rosalie | village | 247 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Thurston | village | 100 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 3 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Thurston County, the largest being Norfolk (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.
Nearby