Merrick County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Merrick County, Nebraska has a population of 7,724 across 485 square miles, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $554.2 m in 2024, 249 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $1.3 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Merrick County
How many people live in Merrick County
- Population7,724
- Households3,205
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$68,354
- Median age43.2
- Median gross rent$750 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$175,900
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,468
- Population under 181,742
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,684
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,298
- Civilian labor force4,091
- Unemployment rate0.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.4 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties38th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2670th
Merrick County is the 38th 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 21.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Merrick County
Is Merrick County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.27 percent
- Census 2020 base population7,663
- Births, 202485
- Deaths, 202489
- Natural change, 2024-4
- Net domestic migration, 202492
- Net international migration, 20246
- Total net migration, 202498
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024212
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1086th
The county has grown 2.27 percent 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.
Merrick County
Where people moving to Merrick County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving215
- People arriving, from those returns418
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,409
- Largest single originMerrick County Non-migrants (2,889 households)
- Largest single destination (2,889 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrick County Non-migrants | 2,889 | 6,285 | $230.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 103 | 192 | $5.1 m |
| Hall County | 89 | 180 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 23 | 46 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 23 | 46 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Merrick 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.
Merrick County
What the Merrick County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$554.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$546.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.4 percent
- GDP change over five years45.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties43rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2340th
- GDP per resident$71,752
Output grew 1.4 percent in the latest year and 45.2 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.
Merrick County
Who employs people in Merrick County
- Covered employment, annual average2,451
- Establishments reporting275
- Average annual pay$57,455
- Average weekly wage$1,105
- Sector 23, employment436
- Sector 23, average annual pay$104,786
- Sector 31-33, employment228
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,066
- Sector 44-45, employment190
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,889
- Sector 42, employment186
- Sector 42, average annual pay$72,361
- Sector 52, employment84
- Sector 48-49, employment48
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 436 | 36 | $104,786 |
| Sector 31-33 | 228 | 16 | $62,066 |
| Sector 44-45 | 190 | 24 | $29,889 |
| Sector 42 | 186 | 24 | $72,361 |
| Sector 52 | 84 | 18 | $64,702 |
| Sector 48-49 | 48 | 19 | $46,815 |
| Sector 54 | 48 | 18 | $53,617 |
| Sector 81 | 44 | 15 | $37,979 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 436 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.
Merrick County
What businesses operate in Merrick County
- Establishments, all industries249
- Employment at those establishments1,766
- Annual payroll$86.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.2
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.
Merrick County
What is being built in Merrick County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202444
- Declared construction value permitted$12.3 m
- Single family units authorised36
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units18.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$279,778
- Units authorised per 1,000 households13.7
Multifamily is 18.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Merrick County
How much SBA lending happens in Merrick County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$335,075
- Median 7(a) approval$415,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,300
- 90th percentile approval$720,000
- Largest single approval$720,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)23
- Jobs per approval5.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSnack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (1)
- Most active lenderPinnacle Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.0 m
- Average 504 approval$654,667
- Median 504 approval$156,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.6
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals57.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.3 m
The average approval of $335,075 sits close to the median of $415,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 25.0 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.
Merrick County
Do SBA loans in Merrick County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Paid in full1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Merrick County
Which parts of Merrick County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- CENTRAL CITY, approvals2
- Palmer, approvals1
- GRAND ISLAND, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CENTRAL CITY | 2 | $1,135,000 |
| Palmer | 1 | $130,000 |
| GRAND ISLAND | 1 | $75,300 |
CENTRAL CITY accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in Palmer. 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.
Merrick County
How big is Merrick County
- Land area485 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties77th of 93
- Width, east to west35.8 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land16
- Establishments per square mile0.51
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 Merrick 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 Merrick County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population7,724
- Households3,205
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$68,354
- Median age43.2
Common questions
Merrick County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Merrick County, Nebraska?
7,724, in 3,205 households, ranking 38th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Merrick County growing?
The population has grown 2.27 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 85 births against 89 deaths, with net migration of 98. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Merrick County?
$68,354. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $175,900, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $750 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Merrick County?
249 establishments, employing 1,766 people with an annual payroll of $86.8 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 Merrick County?
Average annual pay is $57,455, or $1,105 a week, across 2,451 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Merrick County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $1.3 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $415,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $2.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Merrick County?
44 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.3 m. Multifamily was 18.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Merrick 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 Merrick County come from?
The largest single origin is Merrick County Non-migrants, with 2,889 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,409 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 Merrick 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 Merrick 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.