Nebraska’s population is not spread evenly across its long east–west footprint. The supplied 2024 ACS five-year estimates put the state population at 1,978,707, with about 76,815 square miles of land and a statewide average of roughly 26 people per square mile. That average hides the state’s defining contrast: Omaha and Lincoln are much denser than most of western and north-central Nebraska, where several counties average close to or below one person per square mile.
Five measures answer different questions and should not be treated interchangeably. Tract density describes fine-grained concentration within counties. Census-place totals compare named population centers. County totals count residents, county density adjusts those totals for land area, and the 2010–2020 series measures change between two decennial censuses. Douglas County leads the current county totals and county-average density, but Sarpy County posted the fastest growth rate over the decade.
The analysis below relies on ACS and decennial Census values supplied with the article. The five site-owned graphics remain as optional reference material; no factual claim in the text depends on interpreting image color, symbol size, or shape.
Table of Contents
Tract-level density makes the Omaha–Bellevue cluster stand out immediately
The highest tract-level densities are concentrated at the eastern edge of the state around Omaha, Bellevue, and nearby communities in Douglas and Sarpy counties. Lincoln forms the second major concentration in Lancaster County. The area between the two metros is less densely settled, so eastern Nebraska should not be treated as uniformly urban even though most of the state’s largest population centers are there.
Outside Omaha and Lincoln, smaller concentrations occur around Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, Columbus, Norfolk, Fremont, North Platte, and the Scottsbluff–Gering area. These local centers are separated by large low-density tracts. Tract-level data are important because a county can have a very low average density while still containing a relatively dense city or town.
Omaha and Lincoln dominate the city ranking, with regional centers spaced across the state
Omaha is the largest census place in the supplied data with 488,837 residents. Lincoln follows with 294,856. Bellevue has 64,510, Grand Island 52,884, Kearney 34,246, Fremont 27,567, Norfolk 26,054, Papillion 25,244, Hastings 25,008, and Columbus 24,488. North Platte has 22,831 residents, La Vista 16,563, Scottsbluff 14,376, and South Sioux City 13,907. The ranking shows two dominant eastern population centers followed by smaller regional centers across central and western Nebraska.
These are census-place population totals, not density measurements. Omaha has more residents than any other census place in the supplied dataset, while Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Chalco, and Gretna are nearby population centers within the broader Omaha area. Farther west, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, Scottsbluff, and Gering function as more separated regional nodes.
Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy account for the largest county totals by a wide margin
Among Nebraska’s 93 counties, Douglas County is the largest in the supplied 2024 ACS data with 590,736 residents. Lancaster County has 326,696 and Sarpy County 197,389. Together, those three counties contain well over half of the state’s population. The next tier is much smaller: Hall County has 62,536 residents, Buffalo 50,579, Dodge 37,351, Scotts Bluff 35,843, Madison 35,532, Platte 34,716, Lincoln 33,802, Adams 31,052, and Cass 27,161.
County population totals are also concentrated in the east. Douglas and Sarpy rank high around Omaha, while Lancaster ranks high around Lincoln. Central Nebraska includes mid-sized county populations associated with Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, and Columbus, while many western counties have much smaller totals despite covering large geographic areas. County area therefore should not be confused with the number of residents.
Douglas County averages about 1,809 people per square mile, while much of the west stays below 10
Douglas County has the highest county-average density at about 1,809 people per square mile. Sarpy County is next at about 829, followed by Lancaster at about 390. Hall County is roughly 114, Dakota 80.8, Dodge 70.6, Madison 62.1, Adams 55.1, Washington 54.1, Buffalo 52.2, Platte 51.4, and Cass 48.8. The eastern counties therefore combine several of the state’s largest population totals with its highest county densities.
The other end of the scale is just as important. McPherson County averages about 0.55 people per square mile, Sioux about 0.57, Blaine 0.59, Arthur 0.68, Thomas 0.79, and Grant 0.81. Cherry County, despite its very large area, averages only about 0.92. These values show how far the sparsest western and north-central counties sit below the statewide average of 26 people per square mile.
| Measure | Leading area | Value in supplied data |
|---|---|---|
| State population | Nebraska | 1,978,707 |
| Largest county population | Douglas County | 590,736 |
| Highest county density | Douglas County | about 1,809/sq mi |
| Fastest 2010–2020 growth | Sarpy County | +20.0% |
| Largest 2010–2020 decline | McPherson County | -26.0% |
Sarpy grew 20.0% from 2010 to 2020, while McPherson declined about 26.0%
Sarpy County recorded the fastest percentage growth in the supplied county data, rising from 158,840 residents in 2010 to 190,604 in 2020, an increase of about 20.0%. Douglas County grew from 517,110 to 584,526, or about 13.0%, and Lancaster County rose from 285,407 to 322,608, also about 13.0%. Buffalo grew 8.6%, Hall 7.3%, Saunders 7.2%, Platte 6.4%, Cass 5.4%, and Seward 5.1%. The strongest growth is therefore concentrated in and around the state’s largest eastern population centers, with a smaller set of gains in central Nebraska.
McPherson County had the largest percentage decline, falling from 539 residents in 2010 to 399 in 2020, or about -26.0%. Dundy declined 17.6%, Rock 17.3%, Greeley 13.8%, Boyd 13.8%, and Sioux 13.4%. Webster, Dawes, Kimball, and Hitchcock also lost around a tenth of their 2010 populations. Because many of these counties are small, a relatively modest numerical loss can create a large percentage change. Historical percentage change should therefore be compared with current population totals rather than treated as a ranking of present-day size.
Nebraska’s population pattern is a dense eastern core connected to widely separated regional centers
Reading all five layers together gives a clearer picture than any statewide average. Omaha and its surrounding communities form the state’s strongest concentration, Lincoln creates a second large cluster, and cities such as Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, Columbus, Norfolk, North Platte, and Scottsbluff appear as smaller nodes across a much more lightly populated landscape. The county totals reinforce that pattern: Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy are far ahead of every other county in population.
The figures also show why “largest,” “densest,” and “fastest-growing” should not be treated as synonyms. Douglas County is both the largest and densest county in the 2024 ACS data, but Sarpy grew faster between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. Several western and north-central counties have very low density and experienced population decline over that decade. Separating total population, density, fine-scale settlement, and historical change makes Nebraska’s east–west population contrast much easier to understand.
Download the Nebraska population map collection
The ZIP includes detailed census-tract density, major cities and urban areas, county population totals, 2010–2020 county population change, and county population density.
FAQ
Which Nebraska county has the largest population?
Douglas County is the largest in the supplied 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, with 590,736 residents. Lancaster County has 326,696 and Sarpy County 197,389.
Which Nebraska county has the highest population density?
Douglas County has the highest county-average density at about 1,809 people per square mile. Sarpy is about 829 and Lancaster about 390. Tract-level density provides additional detail within those counties by separating local concentrations from the countywide average.
Which Nebraska county grew fastest between 2010 and 2020?
Sarpy County grew about 20.0%, from 158,840 residents in 2010 to 190,604 in 2020. That percentage compares the two decennial censuses and is separate from the 2024 ACS estimate used for current population and density.
Related Maps
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS): 2024 5-year population and density estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau — TIGER/Line Shapefiles: 2024 state, county, census tract, place geography and mapped boundaries
- U.S. Census Bureau — Decennial Census: 2010 and 2020 county population comparison
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
