Nebraska · GEOID 31103

Keya Paha County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 822 · 489 housing units

Median household income

$64,000

State $77,562

Median home value

$108,800

State $236,250

Median gross rent

$875

State $1,067

Homeownership rate

80.8%

State 66.5%

Renter cost-burden rate

28.0%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

23.0%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.0%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

21.1%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

38.2%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

1.70

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Keya Paha County	Nebraska
Population	822	1,978,707
Population density (per sq. mi.)	1.06	—
Median household income	$64,000	$77,562
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$78,200	—
Households	302	—
Average household size	2.72 people	—
Owner-occupied	80.8%	66.5%
Renter-occupied	19.2%	33.5%
Race	93.1% White · 0.1% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Keya Paha County compared with Nebraska.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

20.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 34.6%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	14.0%	$33,750	$844	$94,609
1 earner	25.2%	$62,500	$1,563	$201,627
2 earners	53.3%	$96,250	$2,406	$327,256
3+ earners	7.5%	$153,750	$3,844	$541,290

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

302

Average size: 2.72 people

Households with children

19.9% of households

Per-capita income

$35,626

Poverty rate: 8.0%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

80.8% owner-occupied vs. state average 66.5%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 87.5% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 3.1%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

57.3% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,967.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $108,800.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $875.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 187 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 0.0% · For rent 8.6% · Seasonal 35.8% · Other 51.9%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

12.3% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 87.7% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

13.7%

67 units of 489 total

⚑ Above the 10% threshold — meaningful pressure on year-round residents from second-home / short-term-rental demand.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

19.8%

97 units of 489 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$51,200

100% MHI$64,000

120% MHI$76,800

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Keya Paha County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$52,750	$60,250	$75,300
100% AMI	$54,740	$62,560	$78,200
120% AMI	$65,700	$75,050	$93,850

HUD FMR Area: Keya Paha County, NE. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

28.0% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (0.0% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

23.0% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Keya Paha County.

Covered employment

113

Across 7 sectors

Establishments

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$34,515

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	35	$38,395	$111,900	+$3,100	$960
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	32	$29,890	$80,241	−$28,559	$747
NAICS 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting NAICS 11	31	$30,804	$83,643	−$25,157	$770
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	8	$18,992	$39,675	−$69,125	$475
NAICS 42 Wholesale trade NAICS 42	4	$106,020	$363,623	+$254,823	$2,651
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	2	$3,351	$0	−$108,800	$84
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	1	$62,245	$200,678	+$91,878	$1,556

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	35	$38,395	$111,900	+$3,100	$960
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	28	$27,487	$71,296	−$37,504	$687
NAICS 112 Animal production and aquaculture NAICS 112	21	$29,916	$80,338	−$28,462	$748
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	4	$46,709	$142,847	+$34,047	$1,168
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	4	$106,020	$363,623	+$254,823	$2,651
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	2	$3,351	$0	−$108,800	$84
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	1	$62,245	$200,678	+$91,878	$1,556

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	1,280	180	16%	$14.50	$30,160	$81,246	$754
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	1,330	(620)	(32%)	$14.79	$30,750	$83,442	$769
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	260	—	—	$15.21	$31,630	$86,718	$791
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	460	(390)	(46%)	$16.90	$35,160	$99,858	$879
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	1,160	(910)	(44%)	$16.92	$35,200	$100,007	$880
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	430	(200)	(32%)	$17.67	$36,750	$105,776	$919
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	490	(310)	(39%)	$18.00	$37,440	$108,345	$936
Tellers SOC 43-3071	280	(60)	(18%)	$18.70	$38,890	$113,742	$972
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	1,000	110	12%	$20.31	$42,240	$126,212	$1,056
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	330	210	175%	$21.16	$44,020	$132,838	$1,101
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	160	0	0%	$24.95	$51,900	$162,170	$1,298
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	520	190	58%	$25.16	$52,340	$163,808	$1,309
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	780	(170)	(18%)	$25.42	$52,880	$165,818	$1,322
Paramedics SOC 29-2043 · prior-year code differs	60	(20)	(25%)	$27.58	$57,360	$182,494	$1,434
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	150	50	50%	$28.04	$58,320	$186,067	$1,458
Electricians SOC 47-2111	140	(100)	(42%)	$28.75	$59,800	$191,576	$1,495
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	230	60	35%	$30.34	$63,110	$203,897	$1,578
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	530	(260)	(33%)	—	$63,800	$206,466	$1,595
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	950	40	4%	$39.17	$81,480	$272,277	$2,037

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 31103 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.