County · Nebraska

Thomas County, Nebraska

Thomas County, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 87 out of 100 (very high), ranking #400 of 3,143 US counties. Within Nebraska it ranks #45 of 93 counties. It ranks best on public libraries (high), social associations (high) and grocery stores (high). It ranks worst on mental health providers (low), distance to an emergency room (high) and traffic deaths (high).

87Very high

Quality-of-life score: #400 of 3,143 counties
Nebraska: #45 of 93 in NE
Population: 639 (2025)
Land area: 713 mi²
Density: 0.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 31171

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety—
Economy60#1,243/3,143
Housing83#538/3,140
Health94#177/3,144
Healthcare36#2,022/3,143
Environment78#686/3,108
Education94#203/3,144
Infrastructure72#893/3,144
Community95#144/3,144
Leisure & amenities53#1,470/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Thomas County, Nebraska ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Public libraries · high30.8 /10k
100/100Nebraska 1.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library Services
Social associations · high44.3 /10k
100/100Nebraska 13.4 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Grocery stores · high15.6 /10k
100/100Nebraska 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.320
100/100Nebraska 0.456United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Students per teacher · low7.4×
99/100Nebraska 13.8×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education Statistics
Rent as share of income · low13.4%
99/100Nebraska 27.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low0 /100k
1/100Nebraska 362 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Distance to an emergency room · high46.6 mi
1/100Nebraska 5.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Traffic deaths · high119.8 /100k
1/100Nebraska 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional data
Primary care physicians · low0 /100k
1/100Nebraska 76 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Distance to an airport · high224 mi
2/100Nebraska 65 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau
Dentists · low0 /100k
3/100Nebraska 84 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
15.5% (2010 & 2021) → 74.0% (2022 & 2024)
+59 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drought exposureWorsening
19% (2021) → 67% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+47 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
8.9 /1k (2020) → 20.3 /1k (2025)
+128%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
New homes permittedWorsening
4.4 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
22.9% (2015-2019) → 5.1% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Voter turnoutWorsening
93.5% (2020) → 80.4% (2024)
−13 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%

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.

Over about five years, Thomas County, Nebraska improved on 6 of 22 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 14 moved within the margin of error and 2 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.

Improved6

Inequality−0.1270.447 → 0.320
Uninsured−6.5 points14.6% → 8.1%
New businesses+128%8.9 /1k → 20.3 /1k
Students / teacher−0.7×8.1× → 7.4×
Real income+31%$63,507 → $83,063

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 22 measures

Change of every measure of Thomas County, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	13.3 min2015-2019	18.5 min2020-2024	+5.2 min	Within the margin of error	4%
Average weekly wage	$7992020	$8052025	+0.8%	Little change	0%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.7%2015-2019	28.7%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Broadband subscriptions	87.7%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Child poverty rate	22.9%2019	18.5%2024	−4.4 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Distance to an airport	224 mi2020	224 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	1.16%2015-2019	0.79%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	94%
Grocery stores	14.9 /10k2020	15.6 /10k2025	+5%	Within the margin of error	71%
High school diploma or higher	93.9%2015-2019	91.9%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	1.7×2020-2024	−0.3×	Within the margin of error	96%
Income adjusted for local prices	$63,5072019	$83,0632024	+31%	Improved	44%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4472015-2019	0.3202020-2024	−0.127	Improved	100%
Median household income	$51,4012019	$60,2992024	+17%	Within the margin of error	15%
New business applications	8.9 /1k2020	20.3 /1k2025	+128%	Improved	96%
Poverty rate	13.9%2019	13.4%2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Public libraries	27.7 /10k2019	30.8 /10k2024	+11%	Within the margin of error	92%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Rent as share of income	14.4%2015-2019	13.4%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Restaurants and bars	14.9 /10k2020	15.6 /10k2025	+5%	Within the margin of error	64%
Students per teacher	8.1×2019	7.4×2024	−0.7×	Improved	50%
Unemployment rate	5.4%2020	4.3%2025	−1.1 points	Improved	16%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.6%2019	8.1%2024	−6.5 points	Improved	98%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3132 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; 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.

Counties like Thomas County, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Thomas 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.

For comparison, Thomas County, Nebraska itself moved −5.7 points in standing on average over the same 28 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.

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).

Age and sex

564 residents (±54)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

304 households (±38)

Thomas County, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k14%†42
$25k–50k21%†65
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

304 households (±38)

Thomas County, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own68%207
Rent32%†97

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.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

326 workers (±48)

Thomas County, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone68%221
Carpool4.9%†16
Public transit0.0%0

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.

Thomas County has 23 employer establishments, 340 for every 10,000 residents (1.37× the US rate of 248; 1.20× Nebraska's), with 151 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,033. The Census Bureau also counts 100 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 23; 100 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 340; US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees: 151
Average annual pay: $57,033; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Thomas County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	3	44.3	7.99×Too few to compare	4	$5,000	—
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Advertising, public relations and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Ambulatory health care services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	3
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Architectural, engineering and related services	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Banks and credit unions	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Barber shops	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Beauty salons	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—
Beer, wine and liquor stores	0	0	0.00×Too few to compare	0	—	—

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 677 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.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.3M on contracts performed in Thomas County, Nebraska: $1,970 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.3M; −30% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,970; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$1.3M100%

Top recipients

WALT MYERS CONSTRUCTION

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.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Thomas County, Nebraska: $8,527 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $5.4M; +138% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,527; US $12,955
Loan face value: $0; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 12%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$3.4M63%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$381.3K7.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$363.8K6.7%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$268.7K4.9%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$196K3.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$177.5K3.3%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$167.7K3.1%
10.109 · Livestock Forage Disaster Program$136.4K2.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$196K3.6%
LINCOLN, NE
HOFFMAN RANCH LLC$45.2K0.8%
THEDFORD, NE
THEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS$15.2K0.3%
THEDFORD, NE
LICKING BROTHERS INC$11.9K0.2%
THEDFORD, NE
COUNTY OF THOMAS$4,948

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.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$3.8M69%
Farm Service Agency$510.9K9.4%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$465.7K8.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Railroad Retirement Board$268.7K4.9%
Federal Highway Administration$196K3.6%

Assistance by fiscal year

6.8MFY2021
23.7MFY2022
4.1MFY2023
23.4MFY2024
2.3MFY2025
5.4MFY2026

County aggregates

83%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Thomas County, Nebraska

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.

How Thomas 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.

Thomas County, Nebraska
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Thomas County, Nebraska and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Thomas County, Nebraska	United States
FY2017

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.

Thomas County, Nebraska is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Adrian SmithR-NE-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Cities and towns in Thomas County

Places whose residents live mostly in Thomas County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/31171

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

−6.0%

2.0%

2015

5.2%

2.1%

2016

4.2%

1.7%

2017

−5.5%

1.4%

2018

1.9%

1.6%

2019

−6.4%

1.4%

2020

−3.2%

−6.1%

2021

3.3%

3.4%

2022

9.7%

4.3%

2023

−10.7%

2.1%

2024

−2.5%

1.2%

2025

−4.7%

0.5%

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

+10.6%

−4.2%

2015

+8.6%

−1.3%

2016

0.0%

2017

+12.5%

+3.3%

2018

+18.5%

+6.8%

2019

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

3.5%

6.2%

2015

3.0%

5.3%

2016

3.9%

4.9%

2017

3.8%

4.4%

2018

3.6%

3.9%

2019

4.5%

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

+13.4%

−5.5%

2015

+12.6%

−1.9%

2016

0.0%

2017

−9.5%

+4.1%

2018

+2.2%

+8.9%

2019

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

—

3.3/1k

2015

7.2/1k

3.7/1k

2016

1.4/1k

3.7/1k

2017

0.0/1k

3.9/1k

2018

2.8/1k

4.1/1k

2019

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

−20.0%

−6.9%

2015

−1.4%

−3.2%

2016

0.0%

2017

−5.1%

+4.7%

2018

−2.4%

+7.5%

2019

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

15.4%

15.5%

2015

12.6%

14.7%

2016

13.9%

14.0%

2017

13.5%

13.4%

2018

15.0%

13.1%

2019

13.9%

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

—

−10.8% (Dec 2014)

2015

—

−5.2% (Dec 2015)

2016

—

0.0% (Dec 2016)

2017

—

+6.4% (Dec 2017)

2018

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

12.1%

13.5%

2015

9.9%

10.9%

2016

9.0%

10.0%

2017

13.2%

10.2%

2018

13.4%

10.4%

2019

Calendar years

Thomas County, Nebraska

United States

2014

7.1/1k

8.5/1k

2015

5.8/1k

8.7/1k

2016

0.0/1k

9.1/1k

2017

16.7/1k

9.8/1k

2018

11.3/1k

10.7/1k

2019

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Thomas County, Nebraska	United States
FY2017	$119	$93.28
FY2018	$52.56	$105
FY2019	$6,372	$128
FY2020	$781	$145
FY2021	$382	$117
FY2022	$555	$138
FY2023	$4.11	$159
FY2024	$3,353	$157
FY2025	$1,875	$149
FY2026	$732 (partial year)	$211

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Thomas County, Nebraska	United States
FY2021	$4,113	$5,748
FY2022	$2,646	$5,221
FY2023	$2,098	$5,364
FY2024	$7,378	$5,501
FY2025	$5,814	$5,732
FY2026	$2,300 (partial year)	$5,446

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Thomas County, Nebraska	United States
FY2021	$2,683	$298
FY2022	$1,054	$357
FY2023	$0	$301
FY2024	-$220	$319
FY2025	$2,961	$360
FY2026	$307 (partial year)	$349

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Thomas County, Nebraska	United States
FY2021	$4,720	$1,186
FY2022	$486	$465
FY2023	$73.86	$76.52
FY2024	$0	$120
FY2025	$0	$148
FY2026	$0 (partial year)	$108

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved6

Declined0

Counties like Thomas County, Nebraska five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Cities and towns in Thomas County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved6

Declined0

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

By type

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards