County population in 2016: 6,452 (all rural); it was 6,567 in 2000County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 1,145 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 868 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 1,965 Renter-occupied apartments: 612 (it was 581 in 2000)
% of renters here:
23%
State:
33%
Land area: 569 sq. mi.
Water area: 6.3 sq. mi.
Population density: 11 people per square mile (low).
Mar. 2016 cost of living index in Howard County: 75.6 (low, U.S. average is 100)
Industries providing employment: Agriculture,forestry,fishing and hunting, and mining (36.8%), Construction (14.6%), Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing (13.8%), Educational, health and social services (11.2%).
Estimated median household income in 2016: $54,690 ($33,305 in 1999)
This county:
$54,690
Nebraska:
$56,927
Median contract rent in 2016 for apartments: $419 (lower quartile is $341, upper quartile is $517)
This county:
$419
State:
$633
Estimated median house or condo value in 2016: $124,154 (it was $72,500 in 2000)
Howard:
$124,154
Nebraska:
$148,100
Lower value quartile - upper value quartile: $71,369 - $208,721 Median monthly housing costs for homes and condos with a mortgage: $1,266 Median monthly housing costs for units without a mortgage: $475
Institutionalized population: 35
Crime in 2004 (reported by the sheriff's office or county police, not the county total):
Murders: 0
Rapes: 1
Robberies: 0
Assaults: 3
Burglaries: 17
Thefts: 44
Auto thefts: 6
Single-family new house construction building permits:
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2016: $1,976 (1.5%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2016: $1,816 (1.7%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2016: 8.7%
Howard County:
8.7%
Nebraska:
11.4%
(8.8% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 85.7% for Black residents, 4.3% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 11.1% for Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander residents, 2.5% for two or more races residents)
Median age of residents in 2016: 43.4 years old
(Males: 41.1 years old, Females: 45.9 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 43.7 years old, Black residents: 34.1 years old, American Indian residents: 7.1 years old, Asian residents: 39.5 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 39.8 years old, Other race residents: 37.4 years old)
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Howard County is $419 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $503 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $622 a month.
Notable locations in this county outside city limits:
Notable locations in Howard County: Mercer (A), Sunset Speedway (B), The Champions Club (C), Shadow Ridge Country Club (D), Pacific Springs Golf Course (E), Eagle Run Golf Course (F), Glenn Cunningham Lake Campground (G), Fawn Meadows Campground (H), Riverside Campground (I), Goldenrod Campground (J), Oak Grove Campground (K), Cottonwood Campground (L), The Pines Country Club (M), Indian Creek Golf Course (N), Bryant Dairy Farm (O), Douglas County Landfill (P), Circle R Camp (Q), Twin Brooks Camp (R), Two Rivers Farm (S), Skyline Woods Country Club (T). Display/hide their locations on the map
Churches in Howard County include: Community Covenant Church (A), Saint Thomas Lutheran Church (B), Zion Church (C), United Brethren Church (D), Two Rivers Church (E), Our Saviours Baptist Church (F), Candlewood Community Church (G), Elkhorn Community Church (H), Elkhorn Hills Methodist Church (I). Display/hide their locations on the map
Lakes and reservoirs: Timber Lodge Lake (A), Lake Taormina (B), Trout Lake (C), Riverside Lakes (D), Lake Clagus (E), Papillion Creek Reservoir D-45 (F), Lonergan Lake (G), Newport Landing Lake (H). Display/hide their locations on the map
Streams, rivers, and creeks: Ponca Creek (A), Rawhide Creek (B), Boxelder Creek (C), North Branch West Papillion Creek (D), Big Slough (E), Bennington Creek (F), Oak View Creek (G), Old Lincoln Highway Creek (H), Ridgewood Creek (I). Display/hide their locations on the map
Parks in Howard County include: Huntington Park (1), Caboose Park (2), Fort Atkinson Historical Marker (3), Oto Indians Historical Marker (4), Walnut Grove Park (5), Englewood Park (6), Bay Meadows Park (7), Boettger Farm Historical Marker (8), Shipley Cemetery Historical Marker (9). Display/hide their locations on the map
Current college students: 161 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 91.8% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 21.3%
Number of foreign born residents: 76 (31.7% naturalized citizens)
Howard County:
1.2%
Whole state:
7.0%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
2010 or later: 23
2000 to 2009: 8
1990 to 1999: 34
1980 to 1989: 6
1970 to 1979: 15
Before 1970: 12
Note: State values scaled to Howard County population
Mean travel time to work (commute): 22.2 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 52.5%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 2,559
One, attached: 29
Two: 17
3 or 4: 72
5 to 9: 32
10 to 19: 38
20 to 49: 43
50 or more: 49
Mobile homes: 204
Housing units in Howard County with a mortgage: 1,097 (18 second mortgage, 22 home equity loan, 5 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 927
Here:
0.1% with mortgage
State:
60.4% with mortgage
Religion statistics for Howard County
Religion
Adherents
Congregations
Catholic
1,467
3
Evangelical Protestant
1,063
7
Mainline Protestant
914
7
Other
1
-
None
2,829
-
Howard County Religion Details
Source: Clifford Grammich, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E.Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Richard H.Taylor. 2012. 2010 U.S.Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study. Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Food Environment Statistics:
Number of grocery stores: 3
Howard County:
4.56 / 10,000 pop.
State:
2.60 / 10,000 pop.
Number of convenience stores (with gas): 5
Howard County:
7.60 / 10,000 pop.
Nebraska:
4.83 / 10,000 pop.
Number of full-service restaurants: 7
This county:
10.65 / 10,000 pop.
State:
7.76 / 10,000 pop.
Adult diabetes rate:
Howard County:
7.9%
Nebraska:
7.9%
Adult obesity rate:
Howard County:
28.9%
State:
28.0%
Low-income preschool obesity rate:
Here:
10.2%
State:
12.9%
Agriculture in Howard County:
Average size of farms: 489 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $164,627 Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $215.48 The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 69.70% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $154,062 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 47.31% Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 73.42% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $94,837 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 89.67% Average age of principal farm operators: 53 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 24.10 Milk cows as a percentage of all cattle and calves: 0.86% Corn for grain: 80121 harvested acres All wheat for grain: 988 harvested acres Soybeans for beans: 23990 harvested acres
Tornado activity:
Howard County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is significantly below Nebraska state average. It is 2850987.1 times below overall U.S. average. Tornadoes in this county have caused 5 fatalities and 161 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004. On 5/6/1975, a category 4 (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado killed 3 people and injured 133 people and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages.
Earthquake activity:
Howard County-area historical earthquake activity is near Nebraska state average. It is 60% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
On 8/18/1959 at 06:37:13, a magnitude 7.7 (7.7 UK, Class: Major, Intensity: VIII - XII) earthquake occurred 655.7 miles away from Howard County center, causing $26,000,000 total damage On 11/3/2002 at 20:41:56, a magnitude 4.3 (4.3 MB, 4.3 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 109.5 miles away from the county center On 10/18/1984 at 15:30:23, a magnitude 5.5 (5.4 MB, 5.1 MS, 5.5 ML, Class: Moderate, Intensity: VI - VII) earthquake occurred 371.5 miles away from the county center On 3/4/1983 at 06:32:18, a magnitude 4.6 (4.4 MB, 4.6 LG, 4.4 ML) earthquake occurred 212.6 miles away from the county center On 6/20/2002 at 04:29:40, a magnitude 3.5 (3.3 MB, 3.5 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: II - III) earthquake occurred 21.3 miles away from Howard County center On 2/6/1996 at 15:10:28, a magnitude 3.6 (3.6 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi) earthquake occurred 103.9 miles away from the county center Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB), local magnitude (ML), surface-wave magnitude (MS)
Most recent natural disasters:
Nebraska Severe Storms, Winter Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: October 02, 2013 to October 07, 2013, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4156: November 26, 2013, FEMA Id: 4156, Natural disaster type: Winter Storm, Storm, Tornado, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, Incident Period: June 01, 2010 to August 29, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1924: July 15, 2010, FEMA Id: 1924, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms, Ice Jams, and Flooding, Incident Period: March 06, 2010 to April 03, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1902: April 21, 2010, FEMA Id: 1902, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Nebraska Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm, Incident Period: December 22, 2009 to January 08, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1878: February 25, 2010, FEMA Id: 1878, Natural disaster type: Snowstorm, Winter Storm
Nebraska Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: May 22, 2008 to June 24, 2008, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1770: June 20, 2008, FEMA Id: 1770, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms and Flooding, Incident Period: May 28, 2007 to June 02, 2007, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1714: July 24, 2007, FEMA Id: 1714, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Nebraska Severe Winter Storms, Incident Period: December 19, 2006 to January 01, 2007, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1674: January 07, 2007, FEMA Id: 1674, Natural disaster type: Winter Storm
Nebraska Hurricane Katrina Evacuation, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 01, 2005, Emergency Declared EM-3245: September 13, 2005, FEMA Id: 3245, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Nebraska Severe Storms and Flooding, Incident Period: May 11, 2005 to May 12, 2005, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1590: June 23, 2005, FEMA Id: 1590, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Nebraska Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding, Incident Period: May 20, 2004 to June 01, 2004, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1517: May 25, 2004, FEMA Id: 1517, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
6 other natural disasters have been reported since 1953.
The number of natural disasters in Howard County (16) is greater than the US average (13). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 15 Emergencies Declared: 1
Causes of natural disasters: Floods: 11, Storms: 11, Tornadoes: 7, Winter Storms: 3, Heavy Rain: 1, Hurricane: 1, Snowstorm: 1 (Note: Some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (5%)
Office and administrative support occupations (26%)
Management occupations (10%)
Sales and related occupations (9%)
Education, training, and library occupations (8%)
Health technologists and technicians (7%)
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical occupations (6%)
Food preparation and serving related occupations (6%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (58%)
Philippines (11%)
Spain (4%)
Italy (3%)
Korea (3%)
Denmark (3%)
Other Australian and New Zealand Subregion (3%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Howard County (%):
German (39%)
Polish (11%)
American (9%)
Czech (6%)
Irish (6%)
Danish (5%)
English (3%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 1,286 (64.8%)
Carpooled: 169 (8.5%)
Bus or trolley bus: 6 (0.3%)
Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means: 24 (1.2%)
Bicycle: 35 (1.8%)
Walked: 68 (3.4%)
Worked at home: 394 (19.8%)
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders ($)
42 people in nursing homes
35 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilitiesAverage gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2010 was $43,599.
6.97% of this county's 2011 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2010 ($33,971 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
6.97%
Nebraska average:
6.38%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
5.70% relocated from other counties in Nebraska ($26,641 average AGI)
1.27% relocated from other states ($7,324 average AGI)
Howard County:
1.27%
Nebraska average:
2.71%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2010 and 2011:
7.65% of this county's 2010 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2011 ($33,074 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
7.65%
Nebraska average:
6.57%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
6.31% relocated to other counties in Nebraska ($27,223 average AGI)
1.34% relocated to other states ($5,851 average AGI)
Howard County:
1.34%
Nebraska average:
2.88%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2010 and 2011:
Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 12.3 Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 11.5
Births per 1000 population in Howard County
Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 11.5 Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 10.1 Deaths per 1000 population from 2007 to 2014: 10.6
Deaths per 1000 population in Howard County
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 11.7 Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006: 2.4
Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Howard County
Population without health insurance coverage in 2013: 14.1% Persons under 19 years old without health insurance coverage in 2013: 8.9%
Percentage of population without health insurance coverage in Howard County
Percentage of population without health insurance coverage in Howard County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2007: 1,248 (1,122 aged, 126 disabled) Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2007: 200 (13%)
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Aged persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Disabled persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Most common underlying causes of death in Howard County, Nebraska in 1999 - 2014:
Congestive heart failure (82)
Bronchus or lung, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (64)
Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (42)
Unspecified dementia (25)
Breast, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (23)
Alzheimer's disease, unspecified (21)
Heart failure, unspecified (21)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 15% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 14%
Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 14.88 Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 8,108 Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 372 Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 38,887
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1,446 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 880
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 31 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 15
Household type by relationship:
Households: 6,452
In family households: 5,335 (945 male householders, 753 female householders)
1,477 spouses, 1,925 children (1,854 natural, 25 adopted, 37 stepchildren), 17 grandchildren, 48 brothers or sisters, 78 parents, 10 other relatives, 58 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 1,102 (459 male householders (374 living alone)), 458 female householders (419 living alone)), 184 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 14
Size of family households: 909 2-persons, 284 3-persons, 274 4-persons, 102 5-persons, 51 6-persons, 78 7-or-more-persons.
1,283 married couples with children.
205 single-parent households (44 men, 161 women).
97.4% of residents of Howard speak English at home.
0.8% of residents speak Spanish at home (57% speak English very well, 2% speak English well, 40% speak English not well).
1.1% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (84% speak English very well, 16% speak English well).
0.3% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (100% speak English very well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $41,662,000 ($6,198 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $474,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $17,077,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $7,512,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $7,320,000 Federal grants: $7,517,000 Federal procurement contracts: $414,000 ($0,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $1,822,000 ($0,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $429,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $3,396,000 Federal Government insurance: $30,848,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 412
Here:
61 per 1000 residents
State:
75 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 313
Here:
47 per 1000 residents
State:
46 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +3
Here:
+0 per 1000 residents
State:
+13 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: +52
Here:
+8 per 1000 residents
State:
-15 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Howard County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 0.89 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
6.6
State:
7.0
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
4.8
State:
4.3
Year house built
2014 or later: 0
2010 to 2013: 118
2000 to 2009: 231
1990 to 1999: 403
1980 to 1989: 236
1970 to 1979: 526
1960 to 1969: 261
1950 to 1959: 223
1940 to 1949: 131
1939 or earlier: 902
Note: State values scaled to Howard population
Rooms in houses/apartments in Howard County, Nebraska
Note: State values scaled to Howard County population
no vehicle: 40
1 vehicle: 245
2 vehicles: 751
3 vehicles: 657
4 vehicles: 148
5+ vehicles: 187
no vehicle: 52
1 vehicle: 329
2 vehicles: 96
3 vehicles: 75
4 vehicles: 47
5+ vehicles: 2
93% of Howard County residents lived in the same house 1 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 31% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 74% lived in Nebraska.
Howard County:
92.7%
State average:
83.5%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 5,379
Other state: 948
Northeast: 55
Midwest: 515
South: 98
West: 281
Year Householders Moved Into Unit
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Howard County
Click here to upload your Howard County photos (outside city limits)
43.4 years
36.3 years
(50.8%)
(49.2%)
, Passaic County, New Jersey 
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