Saunders County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Saunders County, Nebraska has a population of 23,048 across 750 square miles, up 5.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.09 bn in 2024, 604 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 25 7(a) approvals worth $15.5 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Saunders County
How many people live in Saunders County
- Population23,048
- Households8,899
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$94,066
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$960 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$271,700
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,792
- Population under 185,708
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over4,265
- Share 65 and over18.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,075
- Civilian labor force12,557
- Unemployment rate2.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.4 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties14th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1729th
Saunders County is the 14th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 18.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Saunders County
Is Saunders County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population22,277
- Births, 2024256
- Deaths, 2024213
- Natural change, 202443
- Net domestic migration, 2024-113
- Net international migration, 20247
- Total net migration, 2024-106
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024963
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents519th
The county has grown 5.07 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.
Saunders County
Where people moving to Saunders County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving700
- People arriving, from those returns1,328
- Adjusted gross income arriving$63.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$91,319
- Largest single originSaunders County Non-migrants (8,496 households)
- Largest single destination (8,496 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saunders County Non-migrants | 8,496 | 19,000 | $862.6 m |
| Douglas County | 202 | 394 | $23.9 m |
| Lancaster County | 165 | 300 | $14.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 115 | 207 | $8.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 93 | 154 | $5.8 m |
| Dodge County | 66 | 137 | $4.5 m |
| Sarpy County | 59 | 136 | $6.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 49 | 86 | $4.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Saunders 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.
Saunders County
What the Saunders County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.10 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.5 percent
- GDP change over five years38.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties20th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1769th
- GDP per resident$47,304
Output grew -0.5 percent in the latest year and 38.9 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.
Saunders County
Who employs people in Saunders County
- Covered employment, annual average5,914
- Establishments reporting656
- Average annual pay$49,905
- Average weekly wage$960
- Sector 23, employment782
- Sector 23, average annual pay$64,212
- Sector 44-45, employment719
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,422
- Sector 72, employment417
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,016
- Sector 31-33, employment392
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,399
- Sector 52, employment231
- Sector 42, employment226
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 782 | 100 | $64,212 |
| Sector 44-45 | 719 | 68 | $32,422 |
| Sector 72 | 417 | 40 | $18,016 |
| Sector 31-33 | 392 | 21 | $61,399 |
| Sector 52 | 231 | 47 | $68,692 |
| Sector 42 | 226 | 28 | $76,913 |
| Sector 54 | 182 | 56 | $67,304 |
| Sector 56 | 181 | 42 | $40,671 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 782 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.
Saunders County
What businesses operate in Saunders County
- Establishments, all industries604
- Employment at those establishments4,397
- Annual payroll$205.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.2
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.
Saunders County
What is being built in Saunders County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024135
- Declared construction value permitted$47.5 m
- Single family units authorised125
- Multifamily units authorised10
- Multifamily share of units7.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$351,804
- Units authorised per 1,000 households15.2
Multifamily is 7.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Saunders County
How much SBA lending happens in Saunders County
- 7(a) approvals recorded25
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$15.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$619,272
- Median 7(a) approval$305,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,304,400
- Largest single approval$3,477,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)239
- Jobs per approval9.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals12.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSite Preparation Contractors (7)
- Most active lenderUnion Bank and Trust Company (8)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.9 m
- Average 504 approval$993,556
- Median 504 approval$269,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval30.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved30.6
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (9)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$24.4 m
The average approval of $619,272 sits well above the median of $305,000, 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 24.0 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.
Saunders County
Do SBA loans in Saunders County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 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.
Saunders County
Which parts of Saunders County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- YUTAN, approvals9
- Ashland, approvals5
- WAHOO, approvals5
- FREMONT, approvals2
- MEAD, approvals2
- MORSE BLUFF, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| YUTAN | 9 | $8,927,600 |
| Ashland | 5 | $1,655,700 |
| WAHOO | 5 | $3,886,000 |
| FREMONT | 2 | $315,000 |
| MEAD | 2 | $532,500 |
| MORSE BLUFF | 1 | $135,000 |
| COLON | 1 | $30,000 |
YUTAN accounts for 9 approvals against 5 in Ashland. 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.
Saunders County
How big is Saunders County
- Land area750 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties29th of 93
- Width, east to west30.7 mi
- Height, north to south30.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.81
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 Saunders 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 Saunders County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population23,048
- Households8,899
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$94,066
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Saunders County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Saunders County, Nebraska?
23,048, in 8,899 households, ranking 14th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Saunders County growing?
The population has grown 5.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 256 births against 213 deaths, with net migration of -106. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Saunders County?
$94,066. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $271,700, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $960 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Saunders County?
604 establishments, employing 4,397 people with an annual payroll of $205.6 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 Saunders County?
Average annual pay is $49,905, or $960 a week, across 5,914 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Saunders County?
25 7(a) approvals totalling $15.5 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $305,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $8.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Saunders County?
135 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $47.5 m. Multifamily was 7.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Saunders 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 Saunders County come from?
The largest single origin is Saunders County Non-migrants, with 8,496 households. Arriving households report an average income of $91,319 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 Saunders 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 Saunders 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.