Groundwork

County profile · Nebraska

Harlan County, NE market data

Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Harlan County, each scored against other counties.

Population, 2025
3,000
−1.9% since 2020
Households
1,197
Median household income
$70,625
Median home value
$145,800
Jobs located here
873
Market scores
Not scored
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Harlan County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Harlan County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

An estimated 3,000 people live in Harlan County, in 1,197 households. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Harlan County declined 1.9%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in Harlan County is $70,625 a year, 13% below the U.S. median of $80,734.

Set against the U.S., households in Harlan County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 152, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (75).

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

For its number of households, Harlan County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for restaurants and cafes (37% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for sit-down restaurants (36% above the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Harlan County

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Harlan County, NE, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Restaurants and cafes18150.4$259K706
Sit-down restaurants1083.5$466K703
Auto repair and car care866.8$219K814
Grocery and convenience stores541.8$1.4M42Under 3
Doctors, dentists and clinics433.4$424K278Under 3
Hair salons433.4$297K69Under 3
Salons, barbers and spas433.4$297K140Under 3
Clothing and shoe stores325.1$812K64Under 3
Clothing, shoes and laundry325.1$812K92Under 3
Convenience stores325.1$2.4M30Under 3
Fast food and sandwich shops325.1$1.6M51Under 3
Pizza325.1$1.6M31Under 3
Auto repair shops216.7$874KToo few4
Bakeries and dessert shops216.7$2.3MToo fewUnder 3
Insurance agencies216.7$1.3MToo few4
Pet businesses216.7$514KToo fewUnder 3
Real estate216.7Index onlyToo fewUnder 3
Real estate agents and brokers216.7Index onlyToo fewUnder 3
Car washes and detailing18.4$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Child care and preschools18.4$524KToo fewUnder 3
Chiropractors18.4$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Coffee shops and cafes18.4$4.7MToo fewUnder 3
Collision repair and body shops18.4$1.7MToo few3
Dentists and orthodontists18.4$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Gas stations18.4$4.3MToo few3
Grocery stores18.4$7.2MToo fewUnder 3
Landscaping and lawn care18.4$1.5MToo fewUnder 3
Lawn, cleaning and pest control18.4$1.5MToo fewUnder 3
Optometrists and eye care18.4$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Pet grooming and boarding18.4$1MToo fewUnder 3
Primary care and pediatrics18.4$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Tire shops18.4$1.7MToo fewUnder 3
Veterinarians18.4$1MToo fewUnder 3
Barbershops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dry cleaners00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Electricians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Funeral homes00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Gyms00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Gyms, studios and classes00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Home inspectors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Home repair trades00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
House cleaning00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
HVAC and plumbing00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Laundromats00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Martial arts and dance studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Mortgage brokers and lenders00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Nail salons00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Oil change and quick lube00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet stores00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Physical therapy00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Property management00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Roofing and gutters00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Spas and skin care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Urgent care and walk-in clinics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3

Household spending in Harlan County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Harlan County, NE by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$1.7M$1,461152
Gasoline and other fuels$4.3M$3,613139
Food away from home$4.7M$3,89696
Groceries$7.2M$5,98595
Personal care products and services$1.2M$99399
Child care and other personal services$524K$43775
Memberships, classes and admissions$1.2M$980100
Medical and dental services$1.7M$1,416110
Pets$1M$85894
Clothing, shoes and related services$2.4M$2,03499
Vehicle insurance$2.6M$2,195112
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$3.3M$2,79593
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$1.5M$1,25989
Rent and homeowner costs$17M$14,19985

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Harlan County

Population, 2025 estimate
3,000−1.9% since 2020
Households
1,197
Median age
49.7
Homes lived in by their owners
86%
Vehicles per household
2.5
Land area
554 sq. mi.
People per square mile
5
Median household income
$70,625
Average household income
$104,199
Median home value
$145,800
Jobs located here
873
Daytime population
2,441Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Harlan County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Harlan County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Questions

How fast is Harlan County, NE growing?

Population estimates put Harlan County at 3,000 people in 2025, down 1.9% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 1,197 households.

How much do households in Harlan County, NE spend?

Households in Harlan County spend about $17M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $7.2M on groceries and $4.7M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Harlan County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 152, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (75).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Harlan County, NE?

The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.

How does Harlan County, NE compare with the U.S.?

Median household income in Harlan County is $70,625, 13% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 1.9% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $145,800, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for restaurants and cafes (37% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for sit-down restaurants (36% above the U.S. rate).

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Harlan County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

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Screening a site or an acquisition in Harlan County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Harlan County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.