County profile · Nebraska
Merrick County, NE market data
How Merrick County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 7,905
- +3.3% since 2020
- Households
- 3,205
- Median household income
- $68,354
- Median home value
- $175,900
- Jobs located here
- 2,446
- 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 Merrick County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Merrick 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
Merrick County has an estimated 7,905 people and 3,205 households. Population estimates put the population change in Merrick County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.3%, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in Merrick County is $68,354, 15% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in Merrick County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 147, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (58).
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
Merrick County is part of the Grand Island metro area. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for grocery and convenience stores (2.2 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for medical and dental practices (56% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Merrick 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 | 27 | 84.2 | $419K | 113 | 9 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 13 | 40.6 | $1.4M | 42 | 3 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 12 | 37.4 | $346K | 227 | Under 3 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 12 | 37.4 | $942K | 142 | 3 |
| Auto repair and car care | 10 | 31.2 | $451K | 168 | 6 |
| Convenience stores | 7 | 21.8 | $2.6M | 33 | Under 3 |
| Gas stations | 7 | 21.8 | $1.7M | 70 | 8 |
| Home repair trades | 7 | 21.8 | $1.2M | 47 | 11 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 7 | 21.8 | $1.2M | 24 | 5 |
| Auto repair shops | 6 | 18.7 | $752K | 169 | 4 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 6 | 18.7 | $1.9M | 62 | 6 |
| Insurance agencies | 6 | 18.7 | $1.2M | 94 | 10 |
| Real estate | 6 | 18.7 | Index only | 163 | 4 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 6 | 18.7 | $487K | 229 | 4 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 4 | 12.5 | $597K | 90 | Under 3 |
| Hair salons | 4 | 12.5 | $730K | 170 | 3 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 4 | 12.5 | $908K | 31 | 8 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 4 | 12.5 | $908K | 54 | 8 |
| Pet businesses | 4 | 12.5 | $607K | 69 | Under 3 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 4 | 12.5 | Index only | 194 | Under 3 |
| Grocery stores | 3 | 9.4 | $6.1M | 66 | Under 3 |
| Chiropractors | 2 | 6.2 | $2.1M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 2 | 6.2 | $2.9M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 2 | 6.2 | $2.9M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 2 | 6.2 | $5.7M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 2 | 6.2 | $2.1M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Gyms | 2 | 6.2 | $1.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 2 | 6.2 | $1.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Pizza | 2 | 6.2 | $5.7M | Too few | 6 |
| Veterinarians | 2 | 6.2 | $1.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 1 | 3.1 | $11.3M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Barbershops | 1 | 3.1 | $2.9M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Car washes and detailing | 1 | 3.1 | $4.5M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Child care and preschools | 1 | 3.1 | $1.1M | Too few | 4 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 1 | 3.1 | $4.5M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Funeral homes | 1 | 3.1 | $532K | Too few | Under 3 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 1 | 3.1 | Index only | Too few | Under 3 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 1 | 3.1 | $4.1M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Pet stores | 1 | 3.1 | $2.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 1 | 3.1 | $4.1M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Property management | 1 | 3.1 | Index only | Too few | Under 3 |
| Spas and skin care | 1 | 3.1 | $2.9M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Tire shops | 1 | 3.1 | $4.5M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dry cleaners | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Electricians | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | 6 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Pest control | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Physical therapy | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Roofing and gutters | 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 Merrick 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 | $4.5M | $1,408 | 147 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $11.7M | $3,637 | 140 |
| Food away from home | $11.3M | $3,527 | 87 |
| Groceries | $18.4M | $5,748 | 91 |
| Personal care products and services | $2.9M | $911 | 91 |
| Child care and other personal services | $1.1M | $336 | 58 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $2.4M | $745 | 76 |
| Medical and dental services | $4.1M | $1,294 | 100 |
| Pets | $2.4M | $757 | 83 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $5.7M | $1,794 | 87 |
| Vehicle insurance | $7.1M | $2,211 | 113 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $8.1M | $2,516 | 83 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $3.6M | $1,133 | 80 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $42.3M | $13,186 | 79 |
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 Merrick County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 7,905+3.3% since 2020
- Households
- 3,205
- Median age
- 43.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 82%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.5
- Land area
- 488 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 16
- Median household income
- $68,354
- Average household income
- $88,303
- Median home value
- $175,900
- Jobs located here
- 2,446
- Daytime population
- 6,386Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Merrick 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 Merrick 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
- Hamilton County, NE9,464 people
- Nance County, NE3,324 people
- Hall County, NE62,536 people
- Howard County, NE6,534 people
- Polk County, NE5,225 people
- York County, NE14,286 people
- Boone County, NE5,356 people
- Greeley County, NE2,202 people
Questions
How fast is Merrick County, NE growing?
Population estimates put Merrick County at 7,905 people in 2025, up 3.3% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 3,205 households.
How much do households in Merrick County, NE spend?
Households in Merrick County spend about $42.3M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $18.4M on groceries and $11.7M on gasoline and other fuels. Set against the U.S., households in Merrick County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 147, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (58).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Merrick County, NE?
The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.
How does Merrick County, NE compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in Merrick County is $68,354 a year, 15% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 3.3% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $175,900, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Merrick County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for grocery and convenience stores (2.2 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for medical and dental practices (56% 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 Merrick 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.
All markets in Nebraska · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in Merrick 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 Merrick 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.