Howard County vs Thurston County
A side-by-side comparison of Howard County and Thurston County: population, income, housing, and more.
Howard County and Thurston County are counties in Nebraska. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Thurston County has the higher population (6,666 vs 6,492 in Howard County). Howard County has the higher median household income ($74,508 vs $64,838 in Thurston County). Howard County has the higher median home value ($205,200 vs $105,100 in Thurston County).
Population, income & housing
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,492 | 6,666 |
| Median age | 42.3 yrs | 28.7 yrs |
| Median household income | $74,508 | $64,838 |
| Median home value | $205,200 | $105,100 |
| Median gross rent | $811 | $698 |
| Housing units | 2,893 | 2,290 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.1% | 61.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 20.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 10.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,417 → 6,492 (+1.2%) | 7,181 → 6,666 (-7.2%) |
| Median household income | $59,348 → $74,508 (+25.5%) | $51,034 → $64,838 (+27.0%) |
| Median home value | $148,800 → $205,200 (+37.9%) | $79,800 → $105,100 (+31.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $685 → $811 (+18.4%) | $611 → $698 (+14.2%) |
Howard County
6,4176,492
$59,348$74,508
$148,800$205,200
$685$811
Thurston County
7,1816,666
$51,034$64,838
$79,800$105,100
$611$698
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.8% | 9.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.6% | 25.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 10.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.4% | 12.8% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.0% | 9.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 10.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.5% | 7.5% |
| 75 and over | 9.7% | 5.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.8% | 36.4% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 54.8% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 4.7% | 3.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.0% | 4.4% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 4.8% | 7.6% |
| High school graduate | 35.9% | 33.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 36.4% | 38.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 19.0% | 14.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 3.9% | 6.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 81.5% | 78.8% |
| Carpooled | 6.7% | 8.9% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Walked | 2.3% | 4.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 7.8% | 5.2% |
| Other means | 1.6% | 0.4% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 90.2% | 80.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.1% | 1.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 2.4% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.7% | 7.4% |
| 20 or more units | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Mobile home & other | 3.1% | 4.3% |
Poverty & households
| Howard County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 18.0% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 3.32 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 28 | 22 |
| Median year structure built | 1966 | 1971 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Nebraska
- Most densely populated — counties in Nebraska
- Highest median household income — counties in Nebraska
- Highest median home value — counties in Nebraska
- Most affordable home values — counties in Nebraska
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Nebraska
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Nebraska
- Oldest by median age — counties in Nebraska
- Youngest by median age — counties in Nebraska
- Most college-educated — counties in Nebraska
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Nebraska
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Nebraska
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Nebraska
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Nebraska
- Longest commutes — counties in Nebraska
- Shortest commutes — counties in Nebraska
- Largest households — counties in Nebraska
- Newest housing — counties in Nebraska
- Oldest housing — counties in Nebraska
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Nebraska
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Nebraska