Phelps County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Phelps County, Nebraska has a population of 9,009 across 540 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.03 bn in 2024, 353 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.6 m.
105 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Phelps County
How many people live in Phelps County
- Population9,009
- Households3,916
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$68,919
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$815 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$194,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,101
- Population under 182,187
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,910
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,912
- Civilian labor force4,667
- Unemployment rate1.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.4 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties30th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2561st
Phelps County is the 30th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.3 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Phelps County
Is Phelps County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.83 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,968
- Births, 2024120
- Deaths, 2024101
- Natural change, 202419
- Net domestic migration, 2024-85
- Net international migration, 202410
- Total net migration, 2024-75
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202410
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1542nd
The county has grown 0.83 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.
Phelps County
Where people moving to Phelps County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving245
- People arriving, from those returns412
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,294
- Largest single originPhelps County Non-migrants (3,474 households)
- Largest single destination (3,474 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County Non-migrants | 3,474 | 7,554 | $310.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 109 | 176 | $4.8 m |
| Buffalo County | 65 | 123 | $3.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 48 | 80 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 25 | 43 | $1.6 m |
| Lancaster County | 23 | 33 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 23 | 37 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Phelps 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.
Phelps County
What the Phelps County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.02 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.8 percent
- GDP change over five years25.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties24th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1819th
- GDP per resident$114,403
Output grew 0.8 percent in the latest year and 25.0 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.
Phelps County
Who employs people in Phelps County
- Covered employment, annual average4,827
- Establishments reporting421
- Average annual pay$57,718
- Average weekly wage$1,110
- Sector 42, employment973
- Sector 42, average annual pay$78,044
- Sector 44-45, employment438
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,318
- Sector 11, employment422
- Sector 11, average annual pay$57,469
- Sector 72, employment265
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,467
- Sector 31-33, employment240
- Sector 23, employment230
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 42 | 973 | 41 | $78,044 |
| Sector 44-45 | 438 | 42 | $35,318 |
| Sector 11 | 422 | 67 | $57,469 |
| Sector 72 | 265 | 23 | $19,467 |
| Sector 31-33 | 240 | 6 | $67,487 |
| Sector 23 | 230 | 33 | $58,573 |
| Sector 52 | 159 | 28 | $73,684 |
| Sector 54 | 115 | 27 | $53,942 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 973 jobs, 20.2 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.
Phelps County
What businesses operate in Phelps County
- Establishments, all industries353
- Employment at those establishments4,147
- Annual payroll$235.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents39.2
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.
Phelps County
What is being built in Phelps County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$9.2 m
- Single family units authorised7
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units22.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$1,022,222
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.3
Multifamily is 22.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Phelps County
How much SBA lending happens in Phelps County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$547,667
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,443,000
- Largest single approval$1,443,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)10
- Jobs per approval3.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term84 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 shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHardware Retailers (1)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (1)
The average approval of $547,667 sits well above the median of $100,000, 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 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.
Phelps County
Do SBA loans in Phelps County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Phelps County
Which parts of Phelps County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- HOLDREGE, approvals2
- BERTRAND, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HOLDREGE | 2 | $1,543,000 |
| BERTRAND | 1 | $100,000 |
HOLDREGE accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in BERTRAND. 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.
Phelps County
How big is Phelps County
- Land area540 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties72nd of 93
- Width, east to west24.4 mi
- Height, north to south23.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land17
- Establishments per square mile0.65
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Phelps 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 Phelps County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population9,009
- Households3,916
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$68,919
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Phelps County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Phelps County, Nebraska?
9,009, in 3,916 households, ranking 30th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Phelps County growing?
The population has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 120 births against 101 deaths, with net migration of -75. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Phelps County?
$68,919. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $815 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Phelps County?
353 establishments, employing 4,147 people with an annual payroll of $235.8 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 Phelps County?
Average annual pay is $57,718, or $1,110 a week, across 4,827 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Phelps County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $1.6 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Phelps County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.2 m. Multifamily was 22.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Phelps 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 Phelps County come from?
The largest single origin is Phelps County Non-migrants, with 3,474 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,294 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 Phelps 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 Phelps 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.