Custer County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Custer County, Nebraska has a population of 10,518 across 2,576 square miles, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $882.3 m in 2024, 370 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $2.4 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Custer County
How many people live in Custer County
- Population10,518
- Households4,502
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$67,906
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$853 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$157,800
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,246
- Population under 182,559
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over2,372
- Share 65 and over22.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,587
- Civilian labor force5,362
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.4 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties25th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2452nd
Custer County is the 25th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.3 percent against 22.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Custer County
Is Custer County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.50 percent
- Census 2020 base population10,540
- Births, 2024149
- Deaths, 2024129
- Natural change, 202420
- Net domestic migration, 2024-148
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 2024-145
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-23
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2018th
The county has lost 0.50 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Custer County
Where people moving to Custer County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving210
- People arriving, from those returns360
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,971
- Largest single originCuster County Non-migrants (4,110 households)
- Largest single destination (4,110 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County Non-migrants | 4,110 | 8,898 | $268.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 135 | 231 | $5.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 43 | 84 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 43 | 84 | $2.0 m |
| Buffalo County | 32 | 45 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Custer County Non-migrants, 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.
Custer County
What the Custer County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$882.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$966.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-8.7 percent
- GDP change over five years21.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties28th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1947th
- GDP per resident$83,881
Output grew -8.7 percent in the latest year and 21.5 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.
Custer County
Who employs people in Custer County
- Covered employment, annual average4,537
- Establishments reporting488
- Average annual pay$49,959
- Average weekly wage$961
- Sector 11, employment640
- Sector 11, average annual pay$57,542
- Sector 62, employment543
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,874
- Sector 44-45, employment541
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,236
- Sector 72, employment355
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,708
- Sector 52, employment186
- Sector 42, employment185
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 11 | 640 | 71 | $57,542 |
| Sector 62 | 543 | 44 | $46,874 |
| Sector 44-45 | 541 | 58 | $30,236 |
| Sector 72 | 355 | 31 | $17,708 |
| Sector 52 | 186 | 35 | $69,839 |
| Sector 42 | 185 | 24 | $55,436 |
| Sector 54 | 106 | 32 | $53,234 |
| Sector 81 | 81 | 24 | $45,867 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 640 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Custer County
What businesses operate in Custer County
- Establishments, all industries370
- Employment at those establishments3,119
- Annual payroll$139.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents35.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Custer County
What is being built in Custer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202429
- Declared construction value permitted$8.5 m
- Single family units authorised21
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units27.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$294,369
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.4
Multifamily is 27.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Custer County
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$239,990
- Median 7(a) approval$180,000
- 10th percentile approval$58,000
- 90th percentile approval$700,000
- Largest single approval$700,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)32
- Jobs per approval3.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals10.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Local (2)
- Most active lenderCuster Federal State Bank (8)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$117,000
- Average 504 approval$117,000
- Median 504 approval$117,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals90.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.5 m
The average approval of $239,990 sits close to the median of $180,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 30.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Custer County
Do SBA loans in Custer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
Which parts of Custer County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Broken Bow, approvals6
- Anselmo, approvals1
- SARGENT, approvals1
- Westerville, approvals1
- Merna, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Broken Bow | 6 | $1,658,000 |
| Anselmo | 1 | $149,900 |
| SARGENT | 1 | $45,000 |
| Westerville | 1 | $327,000 |
| Merna | 1 | $220,000 |
Broken Bow accounts for 6 approvals against 1 in Anselmo. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Custer County
How big is Custer County
- Land area2,576 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties2nd of 93
- Width, east to west54.3 mi
- Height, north to south47.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.14
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Custer 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 Custer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population10,518
- Households4,502
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$67,906
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Custer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Custer County, Nebraska?
10,518, in 4,502 households, ranking 25th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Custer County growing?
The population has fallen 0.50 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 149 births against 129 deaths, with net migration of -145. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Custer County?
$67,906. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $157,800, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $853 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Custer County?
370 establishments, employing 3,119 people with an annual payroll of $139.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Custer County?
Average annual pay is $49,959, or $961 a week, across 4,537 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $2.4 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $180,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $117,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Custer County?
29 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.5 m. Multifamily was 27.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Custer County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Custer County come from?
The largest single origin is Custer County Non-migrants, with 4,110 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,971 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Custer 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 Custer County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.