Seward County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Seward County, Nebraska has a population of 17,641 across 571 square miles, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.09 bn in 2024, 485 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $13.6 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Seward County
How many people live in Seward County
- Population17,641
- Households6,788
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$82,444
- Median age38.0
- Median gross rent$980 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$241,300
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,125
- Population under 184,111
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over3,214
- Share 65 and over18.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,316
- Civilian labor force9,438
- Unemployment rate2.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.8 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties18th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2003rd
Seward County is the 18th 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 23.3 percent against 18.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Seward County
Is Seward County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.95 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,602
- Births, 2024161
- Deaths, 2024181
- Natural change, 2024-20
- Net domestic migration, 2024134
- Net international migration, 20249
- Total net migration, 2024143
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024238
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1496th
The county has grown 0.95 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.
Seward County
Where people moving to Seward County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving448
- People arriving, from those returns822
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,286
- Largest single originSeward County Non-migrants (6,187 households)
- Largest single destination (6,187 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seward County Non-migrants | 6,187 | 14,084 | $579.2 m |
| Lancaster County | 172 | 312 | $10.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 151 | 264 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 125 | 246 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 50 | 99 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 38 | 76 | $1.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 37 | 71 | $1.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Seward 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.
Seward County
What the Seward County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.02 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.6 percent
- GDP change over five years43.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties21st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1770th
- GDP per resident$61,781
Output grew 6.6 percent in the latest year and 43.9 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.
Seward County
Who employs people in Seward County
- Covered employment, annual average5,990
- Establishments reporting516
- Average annual pay$51,719
- Average weekly wage$995
- Sector 31-33, employment875
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$72,932
- Sector 44-45, employment577
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,143
- Sector 23, employment486
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,589
- Sector 72, employment462
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,867
- Sector 42, employment293
- Sector 52, employment216
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 875 | 16 | $72,932 |
| Sector 44-45 | 577 | 48 | $30,143 |
| Sector 23 | 486 | 83 | $59,589 |
| Sector 72 | 462 | 34 | $16,867 |
| Sector 42 | 293 | 33 | $80,560 |
| Sector 52 | 216 | 30 | $69,940 |
| Sector 11 | 192 | 48 | $54,528 |
| Sector 48-49 | 180 | 21 | $53,447 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 875 jobs, 14.6 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.
Seward County
What businesses operate in Seward County
- Establishments, all industries485
- Employment at those establishments5,434
- Annual payroll$254.7 m
- 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.
Seward County
What is being built in Seward County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024101
- Declared construction value permitted$23.0 m
- Single family units authorised53
- Multifamily units authorised48
- Multifamily share of units47.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$228,020
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.9
Multifamily is 47.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Seward County
How much SBA lending happens in Seward County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$972,250
- Median 7(a) approval$424,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,715,000
- Largest single approval$4,800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)99
- Jobs per approval7.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChicken Egg Production (2)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank Nebraska (3)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.1 m
- Average 504 approval$554,500
- Median 504 approval$591,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.3
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.7 m
The average approval of $972,250 sits well above the median of $424,000, 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 21.4 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.
Seward County
Do SBA loans in Seward County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Seward County
Which parts of Seward County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Seward, approvals10
- UTICA, approvals2
- Beaver Crossing, approvals1
- Staplehurst, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Seward | 10 | $3,446,500 |
| UTICA | 2 | $4,825,000 |
| Beaver Crossing | 1 | $2,715,000 |
| Staplehurst | 1 | $2,625,000 |
Seward accounts for 10 approvals against 2 in UTICA. 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.
Seward County
How big is Seward County
- Land area571 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties56th of 93
- Width, east to west23.9 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.85
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 Seward 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 Seward County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population17,641
- Households6,788
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$82,444
- Median age38.0
Common questions
Seward County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Seward County, Nebraska?
17,641, in 6,788 households, ranking 18th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Seward County growing?
The population has grown 0.95 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 161 births against 181 deaths, with net migration of 143. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Seward County?
$82,444. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $241,300, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $980 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Seward County?
485 establishments, employing 5,434 people with an annual payroll of $254.7 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 Seward County?
Average annual pay is $51,719, or $995 a week, across 5,990 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Seward County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $13.6 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $424,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Seward County?
101 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $23.0 m. Multifamily was 47.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Seward 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 Seward County come from?
The largest single origin is Seward County Non-migrants, with 6,187 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,286 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 Seward 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 Seward 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.