Merrick County, NE

County

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2022 Population

7,675

0.156% 1-year decline

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

0.693% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

10.2%

7.35% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$57,873

0.164% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$159,300

15.4% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Merrick County, NE had a population of 7.68k people with a median age of 43 and a median household income of $57,873. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Merrick County, NE declined from 7,687 to 7,675, a −0.156% decrease and its median household income grew from $57,778 to $57,873, a 0.164% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Merrick County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.2%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.77%), Other (Hispanic) (1.71%), White (Hispanic) (1.68%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.6%).

None of the households in Merrick County, NE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Merrick County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2022, the median property value in Merrick County, NE was $159,300, and the homeownership rate was 78.8%.

Most people in Merrick County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Merrick County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Merrick County, NE borders Hall County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Howard County, NE, Nance County, NE, Platte County, NE, and Polk County, NE.

United States Nebraska Grand Island, NE

Population & Diversity

Merrick County, NE is home to a population of 7.68k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2022, 3.44% of Merrick County, NE residents were born outside of the country (264 people).

In 2022, there were 51.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7k people) in Merrick County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 136 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 131 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.4%

2022 Citizenship

98.1%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 98.4% of Merrick County, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Merrick County, NE was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Merrick County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Merrick County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
7k ± 35
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
136 ± 48.1
Other (Hispanic)
131 ± 86

5.37%

Hispanic Population

412 people

5.37% of the people in Merrick County, NE are hispanic (412 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Merrick County, NE as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

3.44%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

264 people

3.43%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

264 people

As of 2022, 3.44% of Merrick County, NE residents (264 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Merrick County, NE was 3.43%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Merrick County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
193 ± 64
Gulf War (2001-)
123 ± 64
Gulf War (1990s)
28 ± 27

Merrick County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.57 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Merrick County, NE employs 3.97k people. The largest industries in Merrick County, NE are Health Care & Social Assistance (625 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (451 people), and Manufacturing (432 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($101,442), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($67,167), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($61,250).

Employment

Occupations

3.97k

2022 Value

± 302

−1.61%

1 Year decline

± 11.3%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Merrick County, NE declined at a rate of −1.61%, from 4.04k employees to 3.97k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merrick County, NE, are Management Occupations (630 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (404 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (315 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merrick County, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.97k

2022 Value

± 302

−1.61%

1 Year decline

± 11.3%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Merrick County, NE declined at a rate of −1.61%, from 4.04k employees to 3.97k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merrick County, NE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (625 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (451 people), and Manufacturing (432 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merrick County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Merrick County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,886

Median earning men ± $3,063

$31,414

Median earning women ± $5,633

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($60,855), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($54,167), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($65,083), Manufacturing ($48,438), and Information ($42,708).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Y-Axis

2.25%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.03M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.25% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.87%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Nebraska.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

30
Other Services (except Public Administration)
27
Construction
13
Finance and Insurance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Merrick County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 80.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (17.5%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.23%).

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing the state of Nebraska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (80.3%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (17.5%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (2.23%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Merrick County, NE for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Nebraska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Senator from Nebraska

Deb Fischer
Assumed office on January 3, 2013
Pete Ricketts
Assumed office on January 12, 2023
Appointed to the seat on January 12, 2023 following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing Nebraska.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Nebraska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Nebraska

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Nebraska have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Measure

In 2022, 1.09% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.952% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (381k), Some college (364k), and Bachelors Degree (309k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Merrick County, NE was $159,300 in 2022, which is 0.565 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $138,100 to $159,300, a 15.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Merrick County, NE is 78.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Merrick County, NE have an average commute time of 21.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merrick County, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Merrick County, NE is $57,873. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Merrick County, NE was Census Tract 9667 with a value of $62,375, followed by Census Tract 9666 and Census Tract 9668, with respective values of $56,522 and $56,326.

Property

$159,300

Median Property Value 2022

±$12,045

$2,501

Median Property Taxes

±$230

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Merrick County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Merrick County, NE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.8%

Homeownership

2022

64.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 78.8% of the housing units in Merrick County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merrick County, NE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9667
Census Tract 9666
Census Tract 9668

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Merrick County, NE was Census Tract 9667 with a value of $62,375, followed by Census Tract 9666 and Census Tract 9668, with respective values of $56,522 and $56,326.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Merrick County, NE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$57,873

Median Household Income

± $5,913

3.18k

Number of Households

± 278

In 2022, the median household income of the 3.18k households in Merrick County, NE grew to $57,873 from the previous year's value of $57,778.

The following chart displays the households in Merrick County, NE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Merrick County, NE is from Nebraska.

0.444

2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2021 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2022, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.444 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0995% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nebraska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (83.7%)
Carpooled (7.42%)
Worked At Home (4.76%)

In 2022, 83.7% of workers in Merrick County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.42%) and those who worked at home (4.76%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merrick County, NE have a shorter commute time (21.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 3.37% of the workforce in Merrick County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Merrick County, NE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Merrick County, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Merrick County, NE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merrick County, NE (772 out of 7.54k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Males 75+ and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Merrick County, NE is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91.2% of the population of Merrick County, NE has health coverage, with 45.6% on employee plans, 9.44% on Medicaid, 16.1% on Medicare, 18.2% on non-group plans, and 1.94% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Merrick County, NE see 2603 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.696% increase from the previous year (2585 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1916 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 3832 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,603 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Merrick County, NE

Primary care physicians in Merrick County, NE see an average of 2,603 patients per year. This represents a 0.696% increase from the previous year (2,585 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Merrick County, NE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.77%

Uninsured

45.6%

Employer Coverage

9.44%

Medicaid

16.1%

Medicare

18.2%

Non-Group

1.94%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Merrick County, NE grew by 7.48% from 8.16% to 8.77%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Merrick County, NE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.