Gage County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Gage County, Nebraska has a population of 21,629 across 851 square miles, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.58 bn in 2024, 637 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 41 7(a) approvals worth $16.6 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Gage County
How many people live in Gage County
- Population21,629
- Households9,327
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$67,247
- Median age42.6
- Median gross rent$774 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$174,000
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,192
- Population under 184,888
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over4,776
- Share 65 and over22.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,965
- Civilian labor force10,999
- Unemployment rate1.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.7 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties15th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1787th
Gage County is the 15th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 22.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Gage County
Is Gage County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population21,702
- Births, 2024229
- Deaths, 2024324
- Natural change, 2024-95
- Net domestic migration, 2024143
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 2024146
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024444
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1862nd
The county has lost 0.07 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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.
Gage County
Where people moving to Gage County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving514
- People arriving, from those returns946
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,521
- Largest single originGage County Non-migrants (8,381 households)
- Largest single destination (8,381 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gage County Non-migrants | 8,381 | 17,152 | $591.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 187 | 346 | $9.1 m |
| Lancaster County | 151 | 286 | $7.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 122 | 223 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 85 | 147 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 62 | 113 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 40 | 86 | $2.2 m |
| Douglas County | 29 | 49 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Gage 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.
Gage County
What the Gage County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.58 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.53 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.4 percent
- GDP change over five years54.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1468th
- GDP per resident$73,210
Output grew 3.4 percent in the latest year and 54.8 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.
Gage County
Who employs people in Gage County
- Covered employment, annual average8,677
- Establishments reporting744
- Average annual pay$48,917
- Average weekly wage$941
- Sector 31-33, employment1,546
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,097
- Sector 44-45, employment1,255
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,445
- Sector 72, employment520
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,122
- Sector 23, employment419
- Sector 23, average annual pay$49,981
- Sector 42, employment371
- Sector 81, employment246
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,546 | 37 | $61,097 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,255 | 103 | $31,445 |
| Sector 72 | 520 | 44 | $18,122 |
| Sector 23 | 419 | 92 | $49,981 |
| Sector 42 | 371 | 56 | $66,706 |
| Sector 81 | 246 | 49 | $33,063 |
| Sector 52 | 187 | 44 | $66,542 |
| Sector 71 | 165 | 8 | $11,406 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,546 jobs, 17.8 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.
Gage County
What businesses operate in Gage County
- Establishments, all industries637
- Employment at those establishments6,835
- Annual payroll$306.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.5
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.
Gage County
What is being built in Gage County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202445
- Declared construction value permitted$10.5 m
- Single family units authorised27
- Multifamily units authorised18
- Multifamily share of units40.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$233,576
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.8
Multifamily is 40.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Gage County
How much SBA lending happens in Gage County
- 7(a) approvals recorded41
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$16.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$403,680
- Median 7(a) approval$180,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$2,800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)378
- Jobs per approval9.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals28
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer4.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter34
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals9.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank Nebraska (37)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.6 m
- Average 504 approval$626,667
- Median 504 approval$250,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval14.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.3
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (8)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$22.2 m
The average approval of $403,680 sits well above the median of $180,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 4.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Gage County
Do SBA loans in Gage County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure32
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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.
Gage County
Which parts of Gage County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- Beatrice, approvals21
- CORTLAND, approvals7
- Adams, approvals4
- Pickrell, approvals3
- Dewitt, approvals2
- Firth, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Beatrice | 21 | $5,190,000 |
| CORTLAND | 7 | $4,675,000 |
| Adams | 4 | $2,380,000 |
| Pickrell | 3 | $900,000 |
| Dewitt | 2 | $121,000 |
| Firth | 1 | $317,000 |
| VIRGINIA | 1 | $17,900 |
| Lincoln | 1 | $2,800,000 |
Beatrice accounts for 21 approvals against 7 in CORTLAND. 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.
Gage County
How big is Gage County
- Land area851 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties25th of 93
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land25
- Establishments per square mile0.75
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 Gage 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 Gage County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population21,629
- Households9,327
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$67,247
- Median age42.6
Common questions
Gage County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Gage County, Nebraska?
21,629, in 9,327 households, ranking 15th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Gage County growing?
The population has fallen 0.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 229 births against 324 deaths, with net migration of 146. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Gage County?
$67,247. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $174,000, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $774 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Gage County?
637 establishments, employing 6,835 people with an annual payroll of $306.9 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 Gage County?
Average annual pay is $48,917, or $941 a week, across 8,677 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Gage County?
41 7(a) approvals totalling $16.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $180,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $5.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Gage County?
45 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $10.5 m. Multifamily was 40.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Gage 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 Gage County come from?
The largest single origin is Gage County Non-migrants, with 8,381 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,521 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 Gage 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 Gage 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.