Lancaster County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Lancaster County, Nebraska has a population of 326,696 across 838 square miles, up 3.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $28.82 bn in 2024, 8,999 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 468 7(a) approvals worth $172.7 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lancaster County
How many people live in Lancaster County
- Population326,696
- Households134,126
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$74,793
- Median age34.3
- Median gross rent$1,085 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$275,200
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher41.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over205,622
- Population under 1873,279
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over49,919
- Share 65 and over15.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64203,498
- Civilian labor force181,988
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.8 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties2nd of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents225th
Lancaster County is the 2nd largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.4 percent against 15.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lancaster County
Is Lancaster County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.18 percent
- Census 2020 base population322,608
- Births, 20243,661
- Deaths, 20242,610
- Natural change, 20241,051
- Net domestic migration, 2024-81
- Net international migration, 20243,080
- Total net migration, 20242,999
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,008
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents830th
The county has grown 3.18 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lancaster County
Where people moving to Lancaster County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving6,545
- People arriving, from those returns10,712
- Adjusted gross income arriving$411.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,906
- Largest single originLancaster County Non-migrants (123,211 households)
- Largest single destination (123,211 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County Non-migrants | 123,211 | 249,610 | $11.72 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,298 | 4,013 | $155.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 884 | 1,486 | $69.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 793 | 1,397 | $45.9 m |
| Douglas County | 690 | 1,002 | $41.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 440 | 857 | $27.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 405 | 612 | $22.0 m |
| Sarpy County | 222 | 335 | $12.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lancaster 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.
Lancaster County
What the Lancaster County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$28.82 bn
- County GDP, 2023$27.13 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.2 percent
- GDP change over five years37.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents203rd
- GDP per resident$88,202
Output grew 6.2 percent in the latest year and 37.9 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.
Lancaster County
Who employs people in Lancaster County
- Covered employment, annual average175,346
- Establishments reporting9,853
- Average annual pay$59,332
- Average weekly wage$1,141
- Sector 62, employment26,116
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,143
- Sector 44-45, employment17,451
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,345
- Sector 72, employment15,108
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,096
- Sector 31-33, employment13,995
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,664
- Sector 23, employment10,229
- Sector 54, employment10,152
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 26,116 | 1,642 | $61,143 |
| Sector 44-45 | 17,451 | 954 | $37,345 |
| Sector 72 | 15,108 | 774 | $22,096 |
| Sector 31-33 | 13,995 | 271 | $68,664 |
| Sector 23 | 10,229 | 1,139 | $67,855 |
| Sector 54 | 10,152 | 1,084 | $81,514 |
| Sector 48-49 | 8,874 | 249 | $65,260 |
| Sector 56 | 7,594 | 559 | $47,210 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 26,116 jobs, 14.9 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.
Lancaster County
What businesses operate in Lancaster County
- Establishments, all industries8,999
- Employment at those establishments157,274
- Annual payroll$8.68 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.5
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.
Lancaster County
What is being built in Lancaster County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,935
- Declared construction value permitted$442.8 m
- Single family units authorised1,024
- Multifamily units authorised911
- Multifamily share of units47.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$228,814
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.4
Multifamily is 47.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lancaster County
How much SBA lending happens in Lancaster County
- 7(a) approvals recorded468
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$172.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$368,973
- Median 7(a) approval$154,400
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$796,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,659
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active50
- Distinct industries receiving approvals176
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms34
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter408
- Franchise loans48
- Franchise share of approvals10.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (18)
- Most active lenderUnion Bank and Trust Company (153)
- 504 approvals recorded200
- 504 gross approval dollars$141.5 m
- Average 504 approval$707,670
- Median 504 approval$505,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval18.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved26.6
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (186)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$314.2 m
The average approval of $368,973 sits well above the median of $154,400, 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 7.3 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.
Lancaster County
Do SBA loans in Lancaster County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded93
- Paid in full90
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.2 percent
- Status: Cancelled65
- Status: Paid in full90
- Status: Exempt from disclosure291
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed19
Of the 93 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.2 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lancaster County
Which parts of Lancaster County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending14
- LINCOLN, approvals415
- FIRTH, approvals16
- HICKMAN, approvals9
- ROCA, approvals7
- CRETE, approvals3
- BENNET, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LINCOLN | 415 | $152,140,900 |
| FIRTH | 16 | $7,176,200 |
| HICKMAN | 9 | $1,587,400 |
| ROCA | 7 | $2,078,300 |
| CRETE | 3 | $589,600 |
| BENNET | 3 | $937,300 |
| RAYMOND | 3 | $339,500 |
| WAVERLY | 2 | $5,020,000 |
LINCOLN accounts for 415 approvals against 16 in FIRTH. 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.
Lancaster County
How big is Lancaster County
- Land area838 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties26th of 93
- Width, east to west23.5 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land390
- Establishments per square mile10.74
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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population326,696
- Households134,126
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$74,793
- Median age34.3
Common questions
Lancaster County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
326,696, in 134,126 households, ranking 2nd of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lancaster County growing?
The population has grown 3.18 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,661 births against 2,610 deaths, with net migration of 2,999. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lancaster County?
$74,793. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $275,200, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,085 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lancaster County?
8,999 establishments, employing 157,274 people with an annual payroll of $8.68 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lancaster County?
Average annual pay is $59,332, or $1,141 a week, across 175,346 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lancaster County?
468 7(a) approvals totalling $172.7 m since FY2020, across 50 lenders, with a median approval of $154,400, plus 200 504 approvals worth $141.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lancaster County get paid back?
Of the 93 loans that have reached a final outcome, 90 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.2 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lancaster County?
1,935 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $442.8 m. Multifamily was 47.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lancaster 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 Lancaster County come from?
The largest single origin is Lancaster County Non-migrants, with 123,211 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,906 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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.