Otoe County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Otoe County, Nebraska has a population of 16,241 across 616 square miles, up 4.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.79 bn in 2024, 470 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $3.9 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Otoe County
How many people live in Otoe County
- Population16,241
- Households6,383
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$82,188
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$914 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$201,600
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,140
- Population under 183,902
- Share under 1824.0 percent
- Population 65 and over3,347
- Share 65 and over20.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,992
- Civilian labor force8,510
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.0 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties19th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2081st
Otoe County is the 19th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.0 percent against 20.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Otoe County
Is Otoe County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.27 percent
- Census 2020 base population15,912
- Births, 2024176
- Deaths, 2024211
- Natural change, 2024-35
- Net domestic migration, 2024-13
- Net international migration, 2024192
- Total net migration, 2024179
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024248
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents643rd
The county has grown 4.27 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.
Otoe County
Where people moving to Otoe County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving424
- People arriving, from those returns781
- Adjusted gross income arriving$25.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,075
- Largest single originOtoe County Non-migrants (6,212 households)
- Largest single destination (6,212 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otoe County Non-migrants | 6,212 | 13,184 | $498.3 m |
| Lancaster County | 127 | 234 | $7.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 127 | 237 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 76 | 142 | $3.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 72 | 142 | $4.3 m |
| Cass County | 35 | 73 | $2.1 m |
| Douglas County | 31 | 51 | $1.9 m |
| Sarpy County | 28 | 44 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Otoe 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.
Otoe County
What the Otoe County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.79 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.82 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.6 percent
- GDP change over five years37.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties15th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1368th
- GDP per resident$110,287
Output grew -1.6 percent in the latest year and 37.4 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.
Otoe County
Who employs people in Otoe County
- Covered employment, annual average6,224
- Establishments reporting508
- Average annual pay$53,027
- Average weekly wage$1,020
- Sector 31-33, employment1,282
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,238
- Sector 44-45, employment730
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,393
- Sector 72, employment672
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,987
- Sector 62, employment618
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,187
- Sector 23, employment292
- Sector 42, employment218
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,282 | 13 | $60,238 |
| Sector 44-45 | 730 | 65 | $33,393 |
| Sector 72 | 672 | 43 | $22,987 |
| Sector 62 | 618 | 56 | $51,187 |
| Sector 23 | 292 | 61 | $59,680 |
| Sector 42 | 218 | 24 | $71,244 |
| Sector 71 | 202 | 9 | $41,268 |
| Sector 11 | 166 | 23 | $63,223 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,282 jobs, 20.6 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.
Otoe County
What businesses operate in Otoe County
- Establishments, all industries470
- Employment at those establishments5,041
- Annual payroll$223.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.9
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.
Otoe County
What is being built in Otoe County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202429
- Declared construction value permitted$12.2 m
- Single family units authorised29
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$422,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Otoe County
How much SBA lending happens in Otoe County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$279,621
- Median 7(a) approval$115,200
- 10th percentile approval$36,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,074,200
- Largest single approval$1,377,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)68
- Jobs per approval4.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOther Animal Food Manufacturing (2)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank Nebraska (4)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.2 m
- Average 504 approval$526,167
- Median 504 approval$414,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval6.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.7
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$7.1 m
The average approval of $279,621 sits well above the median of $115,200, 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 14.3 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.
Otoe County
Do SBA loans in Otoe County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Otoe County
Which parts of Otoe County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Nebraska City, approvals4
- SYRACUSE, approvals4
- Palmyra, approvals2
- DUNBAR, approvals2
- Kearney, approvals1
- UNADILLA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska City | 4 | $1,441,400 |
| SYRACUSE | 4 | $346,000 |
| Palmyra | 2 | $238,500 |
| DUNBAR | 2 | $475,000 |
| Kearney | 1 | $1,377,800 |
| UNADILLA | 1 | $36,000 |
Nebraska City accounts for 4 approvals against 4 in SYRACUSE. 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.
Otoe County
How big is Otoe County
- Land area616 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties43rd of 93
- Width, east to west39.6 mi
- Height, north to south18 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land26
- Establishments per square mile0.76
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 Otoe 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 Otoe County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,241
- Households6,383
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$82,188
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Otoe County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Otoe County, Nebraska?
16,241, in 6,383 households, ranking 19th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Otoe County growing?
The population has grown 4.27 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 176 births against 211 deaths, with net migration of 179. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Otoe County?
$82,188. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,600, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $914 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Otoe County?
470 establishments, employing 5,041 people with an annual payroll of $223.4 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 Otoe County?
Average annual pay is $53,027, or $1,020 a week, across 6,224 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Otoe County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $3.9 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $115,200, plus 6 504 approvals worth $3.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Otoe County?
29 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Otoe 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 Otoe County come from?
The largest single origin is Otoe County Non-migrants, with 6,212 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,075 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 Otoe 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 Otoe 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.