Keya Paha County, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 57 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #1,338 of 3,143 US counties. Within Nebraska it ranks #90 of 93 counties. It ranks best on students per teacher (low), grocery stores (high) and traffic deaths (low). It ranks worst on average weekly wage (low), mental health providers (low) and restaurants and bars (low).
57Moderate
Quality-of-life score
#1,338 of 3,143 counties
Nebraska
#90 of 93 in NE
Population
792 (2025)
Land area
773 mi²
Density
1.0 /mi²
FIPS code
31103
Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 67 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.
The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.
Drought exposureWorsening
32% (2021) → 56% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+24 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
29.4% (Dec 2021) → 50.6% (Aug 2026)
+21 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Traffic deathsImproving
25.3 /100k (2015-2019) → 0.0 /100k (2020-2024)
−100%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Voter turnoutImproving
79.3% (2020) → 91.8% (2024)
+13 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
New business applicationsWorsening
18.4 /1k (2020) → 7.6 /1k (2025)
−59%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
24.1% (2019) → 12.8% (2024)
−11 pts5 yearsUS 16.8% → 15.5%
What changed in five years
How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.
Counties like Keya Paha County, Nebraska five years ago that improved
The places whose measures looked most like those of Keya Paha County, Nebraska in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.
Who lives here
Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).
Income
How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.
Homes
Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.
Getting to work
How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.
Local businesses
Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.
Federal contract spending
Federal grants & assistance
Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.
Public money & outcomes
Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.
Representation in Congress
Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.
Cities and towns in Keya Paha County
Places whose residents live mostly in Keya Paha County, largest first.
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Over about five years, Keya Paha County, Nebraska improved on 5 of 22 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 13 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.
Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing
Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.
Improved5
Child poverty−11 points24.1% → 12.8%
Child poverty rate
24.1% → 12.8%2019 → 2024
−11 pointsBeyond the margin of error (±9.6 points)
Standing among counties: 28 → 73 (0 lowest, 100 highest)
More favourable than 99% of counties
Uninsured−6.3 points18.8% → 12.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)
18.8% → 12.5%2019 → 2024
−6.3 pointsBeyond the margin of error (±3.2 points)
Standing among counties: 11 → 28 (0 lowest, 100 highest)
More favourable than 98% of counties
Household income+35%$46,010 → $62,133
Median household income
$46,010 → $62,1332019 → 2024
+35%Beyond the margin of error (±$9,080)
Standing among counties: 24 → 36 (0 lowest, 100 highest)
More favourable than 90% of counties
Students / teacher−1.0×7.0× → 6.0×
Students per teacher
7.0× → 6.0×2019 → 2024
−1.0×No margin of error published
Standing among counties: 99 → 100 (0 lowest, 100 highest)
More favourable than 62% of counties
Real income+24%$60,614 → $75,212
Income adjusted for local prices
$60,614 → $75,2122019 → 2024
+24%No margin of error published
Standing among counties: 88 → 81 (0 lowest, 100 highest)
Less favourable than 90% of counties
Declined1
New businesses−59%18.4 /1k → 7.6 /1k
New business applications
18.4 /1k → 7.6 /1k2020 → 2025
−59%No margin of error published
Standing among counties: 95 → 8 (0 lowest, 100 highest)
Less favourable than 99% of counties
All 22 measures
Change of every measure of Keya Paha County, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure
Before
After
Change
Reading
Favourable vs peers
Average commute time
16.4 min2015-2019
18.7 min2020-2024
+2.2 min
Within the margin of error
19%
Average weekly wage
$6392020
$6562025
+2.7%
Little change
1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
25.0%2015-2019
20.6%2020-2024
−4.5 points
Within the margin of error
1%
Broadband subscriptions
77.6%2015-2019
84.8%2020-2024
+7.1 points
Within the margin of error
24%
Child poverty rate
24.1%2019
12.8%2024
−11 points
Improved
99%
Distance to an airport
158 mi2020
158 mi2025
0 mi
Little change
50%
Effective property tax rate
1.40%2015-2019
1.14%2020-2024
−0.3 points
Within the margin of error
85%
Grocery stores
13.2 /10k2020
12.6 /10k2025
−4%
Within the margin of error
38%
High school diploma or higher
95.1%2015-2019
96.4%2020-2024
+1.3 points
Within the margin of error
39%
Home price to income ratio
1.4×2015-2019
1.7×2020-2024
+0.3×
Within the margin of error
58%
Income adjusted for local prices
$60,6142019
$75,2122024
+24%
Improved
10%
Income inequality (Gini index)
0.4212015-2019
0.4602020-2024
+0.039
Within the margin of error
10%
Median household income
$46,0102019
$62,1332024
+35%
Improved
90%
New business applications
18.4 /1k2020
7.6 /1k2025
−59%
Declined
0%
Poverty rate
18.9%2019
16.0%2024
−2.9 points
Within the margin of error
92%
Public libraries
12.8 /10k2019
12.4 /10k2024
−3%
Within the margin of error
36%
Public transit commuters
0.0%2015-2019
0.0%2020-2024
0 points
Within the margin of error
73%
Rent as share of income
18.0%2015-2019
19.8%2020-2024
+1.8 points
Within the margin of error
29%
Students per teacher
7.0×2019
6.0×2024
−1.0×
Improved
62%
Traffic deaths
25.3 /100k2015-2019
0.0 /100k2020-2024
−100%
Within the margin of error
100%
Unemployment rate
3.3%2020
3.5%2025
+0.2 points
Little change
1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)
18.8%2019
12.5%2024
−6.3 points
Improved
98%
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3114 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.
Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.
For comparison, Keya Paha County, Nebraska itself moved −2.1 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).
How the ranking works
Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.
Keya Paha County, Nebraska is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.
Keya Paha County has 19 employer establishments, 237 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248; 0.83× Nebraska's), with 39 paid employees at an average annual pay of $36,641. The Census Bureau also counts 126 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.
Establishments
19
126 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents
237
US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees
39
Average annual pay
$36,641
US $68,342
Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Keya Paha County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation
County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)
Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 801 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.
Household income
302 households (±41)
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
Nebraska share
Under $25k20%†61
Under $25k
20%±7.2 points
61 households±23 (90% margin of error)
14%in Nebraska
15%in United States
+3.1 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
$25k–50k21%†64
$25k–50k
21%±6.4 points
64 households±21 (90% margin of error)
18%in Nebraska
17%in United States
−7.1 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
$50k–75k14%†42
$50k–75k
14%±5.8 points
42 households±18 (90% margin of error)
17%in Nebraska
16%in United States
−10.8 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
$75k–100k15%†45
$75k–100k
15%±4.2 points
45 households±14 (90% margin of error)
14%in Nebraska
13%in United States
+4.4 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
$100k–150k14%†41
$100k–150k
14%±5.6 points
41 households±18 (90% margin of error)
19%in Nebraska
18%in United States
+2.1 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
$150k–200k8.6%†26
$150k–200k
8.6%±5.8 points
26 households±18 (90% margin of error)
9.1%in Nebraska
9.6%in United States
+5.3 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
$200k or more7.6%†23
$200k or more
7.6%±4.5 points
23 households±14 (90% margin of error)
9.4%in Nebraska
13%in United States
+3.0 pointssince 2015–2019, within the margin of error
Wide margin of error: read with care
No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.
† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.
No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.
How Keya Paha County, Nebraska compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.
Money per resident
By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
partial year
Contracts and grantsUS dollars per residentTable view
Money per resident, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
FY2021
$4,625
$5,748
FY2022
$291
$5,221
FY2023
$5,045
$5,364
FY2024
$23.44
$5,501
FY2025
$15,465
$5,732
FY2026
-$382 (partial year)
$5,447
Transportation grantsUS dollars per residentTable view
Money per resident, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
FY2021
$4,614
$298
FY2022
$281
$357
FY2023
$5,032
$301
FY2024
$0
$319
FY2025
$15,455
$360
FY2026
-$416
Housing assistanceUS dollars per residentTable view
Money per resident, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
FY2021
$0
$239
FY2022
$0
$185
FY2023
$0
$229
FY2024
$10.22
$229
FY2025
$0
$249
FY2026
-$7.67
SBA lending volumeUS dollars per residentTable view
Money per resident, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
FY2021
$5,600
$1,186
FY2022
$387
$465
FY2023
$0
$76.52
FY2024
$0
$120
FY2025
$0
$148
FY2026
$0
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)
How outcomes moved
Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
Years with money loaded
Job growthpercentTable view
Job growth, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
3.3%
2.0%
2015
When its money jumped
A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.
Counties under 10,000 residents are not assessed: their money per resident swings too much from year to year.
Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/31103
Average weekly wage, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
−1.0%
−4.2%
2015
+11.1%
−1.3%
2016
0.0%
0.0%
2017
+0.4%
+3.3%
2018
+10.9%
+6.8%
2019
+26.0%
+10.5%
2020
+27.0%
+19.4%
2021
+17.1%
+26.1%
2022
+19.5%
+30.6%
2023
+27.2%
+35.0%
2024
+28.6%
+41.0%
2025
+30.4%
+46.8%
Unemployment ratepercentTable view
Unemployment rate, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
2.7%
6.2%
2015
2.1%
5.3%
2016
3.3%
4.9%
2017
3.9%
4.4%
2018
3.5%
3.9%
2019
4.1%
3.7%
2020
3.3%
8.1%
2021
2.7%
5.4%
2022
3.4%
3.7%
2023
3.4%
3.6%
2024
3.3%
4.0%
2025
3.5%
4.3%
Personal income per capitaChange since 2016, %Table view
Personal income per capita, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
+42.0%
−5.5%
2015
+25.3%
−1.9%
2016
0.0%
0.0%
2017
−16.1%
+4.1%
2018
−18.7%
+8.9%
2019
−5.9%
+13.5%
2020
+18.7%
+20.8%
2021
+20.2%
+32.1%
2022
+3.8%
+35.4%
2023
+18.0%
+42.9%
2024
+14.6%
+49.5%
New homes permittedper 1,000 peopleTable view
New homes permitted, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
0.0/1k
3.3/1k
2015
0.0/1k
3.7/1k
2016
0.0/1k
3.7/1k
2017
1.3/1k
3.9/1k
2018
0.0/1k
4.1/1k
2019
0.0/1k
4.2/1k
2020
0.0/1k
4.4/1k
2021
0.0/1k
5.2/1k
2022
0.0/1k
5.0/1k
2023
0.0/1k
4.5/1k
2024
0.0/1k
4.3/1k
2025
0.0/1k
4.2/1k
Median household incomeChange since 2016, %Table view
Median household income, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
−13.0%
−6.9%
2015
−3.0%
−3.2%
2016
0.0%
0.0%
2017
−3.4%
+4.7%
2018
+2.4%
+7.5%
2019
−2.7%
+14.0%
2020
−0.5%
+16.9%
2021
+4.5%
+21.0%
2022
+9.1%
+29.7%
2023
+10.1%
+34.9%
2024
+31.4%
+41.6%
Poverty ratepercentTable view
Poverty rate, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
20.5%
15.5%
2015
15.1%
14.7%
2016
16.1%
14.0%
2017
17.7%
13.4%
2018
18.3%
13.1%
2019
18.9%
12.3%
2020
17.3%
11.9%
2021
19.3%
12.8%
2022
20.9%
12.6%
2023
17.3%
12.5%
2024
16.0%
12.1%
Typical home valueChange since 2016, %Table view
Typical home value, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
—
−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015
—
−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016
0.0% (Dec 2016)
0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017
+3.1% (Dec 2017)
+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018
+16.3% (Dec 2018)
+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019
+17.5% (Dec 2019)
+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020
+43.1% (Dec 2020)
+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021
+55.4% (Dec 2021)
+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022
+71.7% (Dec 2022)
+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023
+77.4% (Dec 2023)
+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024
+105.4% (Dec 2024)
+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025
+110.6% (Dec 2025)
+73.7% (Dec 2025)
Uninsured residents (under 65)percentTable view
Uninsured residents (under 65), Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
21.6%
13.5%
2015
14.0%
10.9%
2016
12.8%
10.0%
2017
18.6%
10.2%
2018
15.0%
10.4%
2019
18.8%
10.8%
2020
8.8%
10.4%
2021
9.8%
10.2%
2022
9.4%
9.5%
2023
10.7%
9.5%
2024
12.5%
9.8%
New business applicationsper 1,000 peopleTable view
New business applications, Keya Paha County, Nebraska and the United States, by year
Calendar years
Keya Paha County, Nebraska
United States
2014
0.0/1k
8.5/1k
2015
6.3/1k
8.7/1k
2016
19.0/1k
9.1/1k
2017
6.3/1k
9.8/1k
2018
12.6/1k
10.7/1k
2019
6.4/1k
10.6/1k
2020
18.4/1k
13.1/1k
2021
21.4/1k
16.2/1k
2022
36.3/1k
15.1/1k
2023
18.7/1k
16.2/1k
2024
8.7/1k
15.4/1k
2025
7.6/1k
16.6/1k
Calendar years
In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $6.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Keya Paha County, Nebraska: $8,124 per resident (US $12,957).
Assistance · FY2026
$6.4M
−66% vs FY2025
Per resident
$8,124
US $12,957
Loan face value
$89.9K
lent or guaranteed
To individuals
23%
counted, never named
Top programs
96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$4M62%
Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.
