1st Advantage MortgageDouglas County (590,736 residents) has a $80,391 median household income and $1,201 median rent, by the latest Census five-year survey. Use those as context only. A lender looks at your own documented income and debts; compare APR and total repaid on every Douglas County offer.
On this page
- Who lives in Douglas County
- Douglas County at the extremes
- Work, industries and travel time in Douglas County
- Homes and rents, Douglas County
- The $80,391 median and what sits around it
- The counties around Douglas County
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Douglas County
- Douglas County demographics against Nebraska
- A Douglas County household budget, worked through
- Local borrowing considerations for Douglas County
- A Douglas County borrower's checklist
- Verifying a lender from Douglas County
- Beyond Douglas County
- Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Douglas County
The latest five-year Census estimate puts Douglas County's population at 590,736, the largest in Nebraska. Density: about 1,809.0 residents per square mile across 327 square miles of land. Douglas County counts toward the Omaha, NE-IA metro in the 2023 OMB delineation, so regional figures for Omaha, NE-IA include it. Omaha is the biggest of its 8 Census places, at roughly 488,837 people (83% of the county total).
Douglas County at the extremes
Out of every Nebraska county, Douglas County is most unusual on these measures.
- Douglas County ranks 2nd highest of 93 Nebraska counties for median gross rent: $1,201/mo, against $1,072/mo statewide. Rent this high leaves less room in a debt-to-income test.
- Douglas County ranks the highest of 93 Nebraska counties for population: 590,736, against 1,978,707 statewide. A big county has more local lenders, so shopping around is easier.
- Douglas County ranks 2nd lowest of 93 Nebraska counties for the share of mobile homes: 0.9%, against 2.9% statewide. Site-built housing dominates, which matters for equity-based credit.
Work, industries and travel time in Douglas County
Top Douglas County industry by residents employed: education and health care, 25%; second, professional and administrative services, 13%. Compared with Nebraska, the county leans toward professional and administrative services (13% against 9%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 3.8% in Douglas County. Long commutes are the exception here: 5% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work.
| Sector | Douglas County | Compared with Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.0% | +0.6 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 13.1% | +3.6 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 10.9% | +3.1 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.1% | -0.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 8.2% | -2.2 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 7.7% | +0.4 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
Homes and rents, Douglas County
Renters in Douglas County pay a median of $1,201 a month, 12% above the Nebraska figure of $1,072. 50% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 24% spend half or more. With a median value of $266,100, a typical Douglas County house costs 3.3 times what the median household earns in a year. 62% of Douglas County households own their home and 38% rent. The median home was built in 1977, so roofs, wiring and heating systems are a common source of repair bills.
| Home costs | Douglas County | Nebraska | Compared with Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owners | 62% | 67% | -5.0 pts |
| Rent-burdened renters | 50% | 45% | +4.5 pts |
| Vacant units | 5% | 8% | -2.4 pts |
| Mobile homes | 0.9% | 2.9% | -2.0 pts |
| Median gross rent | $1,201/mo | $1,072/mo | 12% higher |
| Median home value | $266,100 | $238,600 | 12% higher |
| Burdened owners | 23% | 22% | +0.8 pts |
The $80,391 median and what sits around it
Half of Douglas County households take in less than $80,391 a year and half take in more, 5% above the Nebraska median of $76,475.
| Households earning | Douglas County | +/- vs Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 20.0% | -0.7 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 39.5% | -2.4 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 27.9% | 0.0 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 12.5% | +3.1 pts |
About 20% of households earn under $35,000, while 40% clear $100,000. Poverty rate, Douglas County: 11.8%; Nebraska: 10.6%. If your income is irregular, as it often is with tips, gig work or seasonal jobs, plan around your leaner months rather than the Douglas County median.
The counties around Douglas County
Sarpy County is closest, 13 miles from center to center; the sixth, Harrison County, is 32 miles off. 4 of the six report a higher median household income than Douglas County; Sarpy County is highest at $103,321 and Pottawattamie County lowest at $73,602. The list crosses into Iowa, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | - | $80,391 | $1,201/mo | 62% |
| Sarpy County, NE | 13 mi | $103,321 | $1,334/mo | 70% |
| Washington County, NE | 17 mi | $94,396 | $965/mo | 83% |
| Saunders County, NE | 26 mi | $94,066 | $960/mo | 82% |
| Cass County, NE | 27 mi | $91,836 | $996/mo | 85% |
| Pottawattamie County, IA | 32 mi | $73,602 | $1,018/mo | 70% |
| Harrison County, IA | 32 mi | $79,535 | $849/mo | 77% |
Cities, towns and CDPs in Douglas County
Places, by size: the top 8 of 8. Roughly 15% of Douglas County lives outside all of them, in open country or unnamed settlements. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $67,941 in Waterloo to $110,200 in Valley. Linked names have their own city guide; this page covers every other Douglas County community.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | city | 488,837 | $73,201 | $1,187 | 6 mi |
| Ralston | city | 6,472 | $69,403 | $1,215 | 9 mi |
| Valley | city | 3,174 | $110,200 | $962 | 11 mi |
| Bennington | city | 2,366 | $97,500 | $1,516 | 5 mi |
| Waterloo | village | 990 | $67,941 | $1,300 | 7 mi |
| Boys Town | village | 809 | $73,750 | n/a | 3 mi |
| King Lake | CDP | 101 | n/a | n/a | 8 mi |
| Venice | CDP | 73 | n/a | n/a | 11 mi |
Douglas County demographics against Nebraska
College graduates make up 42% of the adult population. 8.3% of residents have no health coverage.
| Residents | Douglas County | Difference from Nebraska | Difference from middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's or higher | 42.1% | +7.5 pts | +20.0 pts |
| Work from home | 16.1% | +5.1 pts | +7.4 pts |
| Median age | 35.6 | -1.6 yrs | -5.9 yrs |
| No vehicle | 6.8% | +1.3 pts | +1.3 pts |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | +1.2 pts | -1.4 pts |
| No health insurance | 8.3% | +1.1 pts | +0.4 pts |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.8% | +0.8 pts | -0.6 pts |
| No high school diploma | 8.6% | +0.8 pts | n/a |
| One-way commute | Share of Douglas County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 31.1% |
| 15 to 29 min | 50.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 13.3% |
| 45 to 59 min | 2.3% |
| 60+ min | 2.9% |
A Douglas County household budget, worked through
DTI math using Douglas County medians ($80,391 income, $1,201 rent):
- Median income divided by twelve: $6,699 before taxes
- Housing at the median rent of $1,201 uses 18%
- At 43%, room after rent is $1,680 a month
These are gross figures; take-home pay in Douglas County will be lower after taxes and deductions.
Local borrowing considerations for Douglas County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Douglas County borrowers.
- Consolidation math. With 40% at six figures, card consolidation is common; it pays only if total cost falls (guide).
- Rent squeeze. 50% of renters spend 30%+ of income on rent; borrow only if the loan cuts what you pay overall.
- Fraud. Gift cards, wire transfers or fees to unlock a loan mean walk away (report it).
A Douglas County borrower's checklist
Quick steps for Douglas County:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Compare the total repaid on every offer, not just the payment.
- A Nebraska license check takes minutes; do it first.
- Pick the shortest term whose payment still fits.
Verifying a lender from Douglas County
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Douglas County borrowers answers to the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. State-level detail for Douglas County borrowers is in the Nebraska guide.
Beyond Douglas County
Guides that cover parts of Douglas County:
Frequently asked questions
Is $80,391 a good income in Douglas County?
It is the county median, so half of Douglas County households earn more and half less; 40% earn $100,000 or more.
How much is rent in Douglas County?
Median gross rent, utilities included, is $1,201 a month; 50% of renters spend 30% or more of income on it.
I live near Omaha. Which guide is mine?
This Douglas County guide, unless your town is linked to its own city guide above.
Will a Douglas County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Nebraska as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.
Is there a Douglas County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In Nebraska it is the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance.