County profile · Nebraska
Kearney County, NE market data
How Kearney County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 6,790
- +1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 2,814
- Median household income
- $78,631
- Median home value
- $223,400
- Jobs located here
- 1,960
- 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 Kearney County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Kearney County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Kearney County has an estimated 6,790 people and 2,814 households. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Kearney County grew 1.5%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in Kearney County is $78,631, 3% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in Kearney County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 148, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (70).
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
Kearney County is part of the Kearney area. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for auto repair and car care businesses (in line with the U.S. rate) and lowest for restaurants and cafes (39% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Kearney 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.
| Business type | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and cafes | 19 | 67.5 | $581K | 157 | 4 |
| Auto repair and car care | 10 | 35.5 | $398K | 148 | 5 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 9 | 32.0 | $1.2M | 185 | Under 3 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 6 | 21.3 | $667K | 437 | Under 3 |
| Home repair trades | 6 | 21.3 | $1.3M | 53 | 8 |
| Auto repair shops | 5 | 17.8 | $796K | 179 | 4 |
| Hair salons | 5 | 17.8 | $564K | 131 | Under 3 |
| Insurance agencies | 5 | 17.8 | $1.2M | 97 | 9 |
| Pet businesses | 5 | 17.8 | $479K | 55 | Under 3 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 5 | 17.8 | $564K | 265 | Under 3 |
| Child care and preschools | 4 | 14.2 | $286K | 29 | Under 3 |
| Gas stations | 4 | 14.2 | $2.5M | 105 | Under 3 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 4 | 14.2 | $4.3M | 127 | 4 |
| Grocery stores | 4 | 14.2 | $4.3M | 46 | 3 |
| Real estate | 4 | 14.2 | Index only | 230 | 3 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 4 | 14.2 | Index only | 183 | 3 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 3 | 10.7 | $1.9M | 211 | Under 3 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 3 | 10.7 | $3.7M | 121 | Under 3 |
| Gyms | 3 | 10.7 | $841K | 65 | Under 3 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 3 | 10.7 | $841K | 127 | Under 3 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 3 | 10.7 | $2.6M | 54 | 4 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 3 | 10.7 | $1.2M | 40 | 3 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 3 | 10.7 | $1.2M | 69 | 3 |
| Pizza | 3 | 10.7 | $3.7M | 72 | Under 3 |
| Chiropractors | 2 | 7.1 | $2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 2 | 7.1 | $2.8M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 2 | 7.1 | $5.5M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 2 | 7.1 | $2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Electricians | 2 | 7.1 | $3.9M | Too few | 4 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 2 | 7.1 | $1.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Tire shops | 2 | 7.1 | $2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Veterinarians | 2 | 7.1 | $1.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 1 | 3.6 | $11M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Car washes and detailing | 1 | 3.6 | $4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 1 | 3.6 | $4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Funeral homes | 1 | 3.6 | $450K | Too few | Under 3 |
| Physical therapy | 1 | 3.6 | $4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Roofing and gutters | 1 | 3.6 | $7.7M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Barbershops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Convenience stores | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Dry cleaners | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Home inspectors | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| House cleaning | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Laundromats | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Nail salons | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Pest control | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Pet stores | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Property management | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Spas and skin care | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
Household spending in Kearney 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).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $4M | $1,414 | 148 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $10.1M | $3,572 | 138 |
| Food away from home | $11M | $3,926 | 96 |
| Groceries | $17.2M | $6,103 | 97 |
| Personal care products and services | $2.8M | $1,002 | 100 |
| Child care and other personal services | $1.1M | $407 | 70 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $2.5M | $896 | 91 |
| Medical and dental services | $4M | $1,422 | 110 |
| Pets | $2.4M | $851 | 94 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $5.6M | $1,976 | 96 |
| Vehicle insurance | $6.1M | $2,166 | 111 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $7.7M | $2,745 | 91 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $3.5M | $1,240 | 88 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $39.8M | $14,156 | 85 |
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 Kearney County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 6,790+1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 2,814
- Median age
- 40.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 77%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.5
- Land area
- 516 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 13
- Median household income
- $78,631
- Average household income
- $109,259
- Median home value
- $223,400
- Jobs located here
- 1,960
- Daytime population
- 5,454Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Kearney 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 Kearney County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Nearest counties in Nebraska 8
- Buffalo County, NE50,579 people
- Phelps County, NE9,009 people
- Franklin County, NE2,846 people
- Adams County, NE31,052 people
- Harlan County, NE2,847 people
- Webster County, NE3,360 people
- Hall County, NE62,536 people
- Gosper County, NE2,040 people
Questions
How fast is Kearney County, NE growing?
Population estimates put Kearney County at 6,790 people in 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 2,814 households.
How much do households in Kearney County, NE spend?
Households in Kearney County spend about $39.8M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $17.2M on groceries and $11M on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in Kearney County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 148, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (70).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Kearney County, NE?
The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.
How does Kearney County, NE compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in Kearney County is $78,631 a year, 3% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 1.5% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $223,400, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Kearney County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for auto repair and car care businesses (in line with the U.S. rate) and the fewest for restaurants and cafes (39% below 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 Kearney 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 Kearney 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 Kearney 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.