Howard County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Howard County, Nebraska has a population of 6,534 across 569 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $288.3 m in 2024, 176 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $150,000.
111 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Howard County
How many people live in Howard County
- Population6,534
- Households2,504
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$76,767
- Median age42.2
- Median gross rent$777 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$209,100
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,468
- Population under 181,648
- Share under 1825.2 percent
- Population 65 and over1,481
- Share 65 and over22.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,405
- Civilian labor force3,306
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.7 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties45th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2774th
Howard County is the 45th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.2 percent against 22.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Howard County
Is Howard County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population6,473
- Births, 202485
- Deaths, 202476
- Natural change, 20249
- Net domestic migration, 2024-3
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-1
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202452
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1321st
The county has grown 1.53 percent 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.
Howard County
Where people moving to Howard County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving144
- People arriving, from those returns260
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,708
- Largest single originHoward County Non-migrants (2,474 households)
- Largest single destination (2,474 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County Non-migrants | 2,474 | 5,456 | $178.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 91 | 162 | $4.3 m |
| Hall County | 53 | 98 | $3.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Howard 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.
Howard County
What the Howard County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$288.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$312.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-7.9 percent
- GDP change over five years23.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties62nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2726th
- GDP per resident$44,124
Output grew -7.9 percent in the latest year and 23.5 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.
Howard County
Who employs people in Howard County
- Covered employment, annual average1,570
- Establishments reporting214
- Average annual pay$43,289
- Average weekly wage$832
- Sector 44-45, employment208
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,895
- Sector 62, employment159
- Sector 62, average annual pay$35,273
- Sector 42, employment121
- Sector 42, average annual pay$55,520
- Sector 11, employment82
- Sector 11, average annual pay$55,635
- Sector 52, employment75
- Sector 81, employment59
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 208 | 24 | $25,895 |
| Sector 62 | 159 | 15 | $35,273 |
| Sector 42 | 121 | 22 | $55,520 |
| Sector 11 | 82 | 20 | $55,635 |
| Sector 52 | 75 | 15 | $50,361 |
| Sector 81 | 59 | 14 | $35,239 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 208 jobs, 13.2 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.
Howard County
What businesses operate in Howard County
- Establishments, all industries176
- Employment at those establishments1,076
- Annual payroll$46.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Howard County
What is being built in Howard County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202417
- Declared construction value permitted$4.0 m
- Single family units authorised17
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$234,918
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Howard County
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$150,000
- Average 7(a) approval$150,000
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$150,000
- Largest single approval$150,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- 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 shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBeef Cattle Ranching and Farming (1)
- Most active lenderBayFirst National Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,184,500
- Median 504 approval$1,951,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved3.4
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals33.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.5 m
The average approval of $150,000 sits close to the median of $150,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Howard County
Do SBA loans in Howard County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Howard County
How big is Howard County
- Land area569 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties62nd of 93
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land11
- Establishments per square mile0.31
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 Howard 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 Howard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population6,534
- Households2,504
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$76,767
- Median age42.2
Common questions
Howard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Howard County, Nebraska?
6,534, in 2,504 households, ranking 45th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Howard County growing?
The population has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 85 births against 76 deaths, with net migration of -1. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Howard County?
$76,767. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $209,100, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $777 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Howard County?
176 establishments, employing 1,076 people with an annual payroll of $46.9 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 Howard County?
Average annual pay is $43,289, or $832 a week, across 1,570 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $150,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Howard County?
17 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Howard 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 Howard County come from?
The largest single origin is Howard County Non-migrants, with 2,474 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,708 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 Howard 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 Howard 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.