Nebraska Counties by Population (2026)

2026 Pop.

50K

100K

150K

200K

250K

300K

350K

400K

450K

500K

550K

600K

Top 5 Most Populous Counties

County
2026 Pop.
Area (mi²)
Density (/mi²)
Change (2020)
Douglas County612,0173261,8774.54%
Lancaster County336,7578384024.2%
Sarpy County212,08723889110.94%
Hall County63,3755471160.97%
Buffalo County51,218968532.03%
Dodge County38,183529722.92%
Madison County36,419573642.49%
Platte County35,641675533.9%
Scotts Bluff County35,51474048-1.48%
Lincoln County33,3212.6K13-3.51%
Adams County30,93956355-0.76%
Cass County27,813557504.52%
Dawson County24,3771K241.22%
Saunders County23,960749327.13%
Dakota County21,880264831.56%
Gage County21,734851260.34%
Washington County21,317390551.84%
Seward County18,174571323.12%
Otoe County16,590616274.31%
Saline County15,012574262.01%
York County14,692573264.24%
Colfax County10,954411273.74%
Custer County10,4832.6K4.1-0.12%
Box Butte County10,3281.1K9.6-4.56%
Red Willow County10,20971714-4.43%
Wayne County10,140443234.48%
Holt County10,0682.4K4.2-0.27%
Hamilton County9,723542183.37%
Cheyenne County9,5181.2K8.00.32%
Phelps County8,95854017-0.22%
Cuming County8,73557015-3.06%
Butler County8,547585152.3%
Cedar County8,402740110.35%
Knox County8,2961.1K7.5-0.97%
Keith County8,0391.1K7.6-3.41%
Merrick County7,964488164.02%
Dawes County7,7011.4K5.5-5.59%
Richardson County7,46755214-5.02%
Pierce County7,407573130.86%
Nemaha County7,100407170.2%
Jefferson County6,99057012-3.72%
Thurston County6,895394182.01%
Kearney County6,817516131.9%
Burt County6,63049213-1.35%
Howard County6,540569110.82%
Antelope County6,3348577.40.75%
Clay County6,226572112.05%
Stanton County5,70542813-2.03%
Dixon County5,623476120.75%
Cherry County5,5486K0.931.67%
Fillmore County5,4505759.5-2.1%
Boone County5,3206877.7-0.76%
Polk County5,253439120.75%
Johnson County5,23937614-1%
Thayer County4,8105748.4-4.22%
Sheridan County4,7182.4K1.9-7.53%
Furnas County4,5777196.4-1.02%
Morrill County4,3611.4K3.1-4.24%
Valley County4,1235687.31.6%
Nuckolls County4,1045757.10.27%
Chase County3,7208944.2-4.39%
Kimball County3,4849523.72.2%
Webster County3,3475755.8-1.24%
Nance County3,2944427.5-2.89%
Harlan County2,9865535.4-2.35%
Sherman County2,8955665.1-2.2%
Perkins County2,8918833.31.12%
Brown County2,8141.2K2.3-3.03%
Franklin County2,7695764.8-4.02%
Frontier County2,7059752.87.94%
Pawnee County2,5034315.8-1.3%
Hitchcock County2,4497103.4-6.63%
Greeley County2,1255703.7-2.66%
Deuel County1,8614404.21.53%
Garden County1,7971.7K1.1-4.87%
Gosper County1,7794583.9-6.12%
Garfield County1,7215693.0-4.76%
Boyd County1,6305393.0-9.94%
Dundy County1,5679201.7-5.26%
Rock County1,2561K1.2-0.95%
Sioux County1,1712.1K0.572.18%
Hayes County8047131.1-5.19%
Wheeler County7865751.41.68%
Keya Paha County7767731.02.11%
Banner County7027460.943.39%
Hooker County6747210.93-4.53%
Logan County6555711.1-8.01%
Thomas County6297130.88-6.26%
Grant County5597770.72-8.66%
Loup County5545630.98-8.73%
Blaine County4577110.646.53%
Arthur County3757150.52-12.79%
McPherson County3648590.42-8.08%

Sources

  1. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  2. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  4. Census QuickFacts
  5. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)