Official Federal Data
McPherson County, Nebraska
Population 475
7 Sources
Updated September 10, 2026
$58,684 up from the baseline named below
Median Income (nominal) vs 2019
$80,734 national
3.9% down from the baseline named below
Unemployment vs 2024
4.3% national
$33M down from the baseline named below
GDP (nominal) real change vs 2023
25.7% up from the baseline named below
Bachelor's+ vs 2019
35.7% national
Small population: 475 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household (nominal)
$58,684 up from 2019 vs 2019
Per Capita
$32,425 up from 2019 vs 2019
Mean Household
$75,318 up from 2019 vs 2019
Median Household (cost-of-living adjusted)
$65,132 state RPP 90.1
Poverty Rate
12.2% down from 2019 vs 2019approx.
Median Income Comparison
McPherson County$58,684
Nebraska$76,475
National$80,734
McPherson County is $17,791 (23.3%) below the Nebraska median.
Cost-of-living adjustment uses the BEA all-items regional price parity for Nebraska, 90.1 against a national average of 100 (2024). BEA publishes regional price parity at state and metropolitan level only; there is no county figure, so the state index stands in for McPherson County and the adjusted median is an approximation. Per capita and mean household income above are nominal and carry no adjustment.
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
CohortsShare of total population
Under 18 · 21.1%
18-34 · 20.2%
35-54 · 21.3%
55-64 · 16.2%
65+ · 21.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
95%
High School+
National: 89.6%
up from national +5.4 pts vs national
25.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
down from national 10.0 pts vs national
7.3%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
down from national 6.8 pts vs national
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
475
Population
263
Labor Force
Employed
263
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.9% down from 2024 0.5 pts vs 2024
Mean Commute 8 min below national avg
18.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
18.1%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Key Takeaways
- Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
- Below the state median: Median household income runs $17,791 (23.3%) under the Nebraska median, so statewide income averages overstate local household buying power.
- Cost of living stretches income further: Local prices run 9.9% below the national average, so the nominal median of $58,684 is worth $65,132 at national average prices. BEA publishes price parity at state level, not county level.
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 10.0 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
- Aging population: Median age of 46 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064, B25004
$121,600 up from the baseline named below
Median Home Value vs 2019
$588 down from the baseline named below
Rent/Mo vs 2019
65.1% down from the baseline named below
Owner-Occ vs 2019
20.9% up from the baseline named below
Vacancy vs 2019
2.2% available
for rent or sale
for rent or sale
2.1x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
HUD publishes these by FMR area, which may cover more than one county · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$680/mo
1 Bedroom
$747/mo
2 Bedroom
$980/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,210/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,309/mo
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$897/mo, from a renter median of $35,862) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 0% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 0% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.1x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
- Elevated vacancy: 20.9% of housing units are vacant, above the Nebraska rate of 7.6%, and up from 20.7% in 2019.
- Mostly second homes: seasonal, recreational and occasional-use units are 35.7% of vacant units, so the headline rate is not available supply.
- Genuinely available supply: units listed for rent or for sale are 10.7% of the vacant stock, or 2.2% of all housing units against the 20.9% headline vacancy rate. Absorbable supply for an incoming employer is thin, and the gap between the two is the redevelopment and conversion opportunity.
- Affordable rent tiers: 2 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $35,862 can pay without cost burden (~$897/mo), and 0% of renter households are measured as cost-burdened.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23001, B23025, B08303, B08301
274 up from the baseline named below
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 8 min below national avg
18.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
18.1%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
76.8%
of prime-age population
Prime-age rate numerator is civilian employed (B23001); the denominator is total population aged 25-54 (B01001), which also includes armed forces.
of population age 16 and over (393)
up from 2019 vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003
Bachelor's+
25.7% up from 2019 vs 2019
HS Diploma+
95% up from 2019 vs 2019
Institutions in McPherson County
The IPEDS institutional directory lists no college, university, or technical school located in McPherson County. Any training pipeline serving this county runs through institutions outside it, which this page does not aggregate.
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
28.1%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 16.2% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
37.3%
Service
16%
Sales & Office
14.8%
Construction / Maint.
22.4%
Production / Transport
9.5%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 40% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 263 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 28.1% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Healthy participation: 66.9% labor force participation reflects a steady, available local workforce.
- Short commutes: 18.1-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage worth surfacing for site selectors.
- Talent pipeline: no college, university, or technical school is located in McPherson County per the IPEDS institutional directory, so any training pipeline serving it runs through institutions outside the county.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 7 federal data sources.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
Take it further
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS LAUS2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
BEA Regional Price Parity2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
American Community Survey figures on this page are 2020-2024 five-year averages rather than single-year counts. A five-year estimate pools 60 months of survey responses, so each value describes the period as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for McPherson County, Nebraska, from federal data sources.
What is the population of McPherson County, Nebraska?
475 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in McPherson County, Nebraska?
$58,684 in nominal dollars (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates). Adjusted for local prices using the BEA all-items regional price parity for Nebraska (90.1 against a national average of 100), that is $65,132 at national average prices. BEA publishes regional price parity at state level; there is no county-level figure.
What is the unemployment rate in McPherson County, Nebraska?
3.9% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of McPherson County, Nebraska?
$33M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP2).
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