1st Advantage MortgageIn Johnson County, Nebraska, the typical household earns $57,632 a year and the typical rent is $779. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Johnson County by the numbers
- Income in Johnson County compared with Nebraska
- How Johnson County residents earn a living
- What it costs to live in Johnson County
- Johnson County next to its neighbors
- The communities that make up Johnson County
- Johnson County households compared
- Before borrowing in Johnson County
- A Johnson County household budget, worked through
- Licensing and complaints for Johnson County
- Checklist for Johnson County applicants
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Johnson County by the numbers
Roughly 5,261 residents live in Johnson County, Nebraska, 53rd by population among the state's 93 counties and county equivalents. It covers 376 square miles of land, or about 14 people per square mile. It sits outside every metropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation. Tecumseh is the biggest of its 5 Census places, at roughly 1,882 people (36% of the county total). Small populations mean wide margins of error, so read every Johnson County figure on this page as a rough guide.
Income in Johnson County compared with Nebraska
Half of Johnson County households take in less than $57,632 a year and half take in more, 25% below the Nebraska median of $76,475. That places it 86th among Nebraska's 93 county-level areas.
| Yearly household income | Johnson County | Gap to Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 27.4% | +6.7 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 45.1% | +3.2 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 23.2% | -4.7 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 4.2% | -5.2 pts |
Some 27% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 27% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 9.7%, 1 point lower than the state's 10.6%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.474 here. None of these numbers decides a Johnson County application. Lenders weigh your own documented income against your own debts.
How Johnson County residents earn a living
The biggest employer of Johnson County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 25% of workers, followed by retail trade (12%). Public administration stands out: 10% of workers here, versus 4% statewide. The survey's unemployment rate for Johnson County averages 3.4% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 3.0%). 23% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 9% work from home. Only 7.4% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Industry | Share of Johnson County workers | vs Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.8% | +1.2 pts |
| Public administration | 9.9% | +5.6 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 8.5% | +2.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 8.4% | -2.0 pts |
| Construction | 8.2% | +1.1 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Johnson County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
What it costs to live in Johnson County
A typical Johnson County rental runs $779 a month including utilities, which is 27% below Nebraska. 36% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 23% spend half or more. With a median value of $155,500, a typical Johnson County house costs 2.7 times what the median household earns in a year. 67% of Johnson County households own their home and 33% rent.
| Cost | Johnson County | Nebraska figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $779/mo | $1,072/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $155,500 | $238,600 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 67% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 36% | 45% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 28% | 22% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 3.9% | 2.9% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 19% | 8% | n/a |
Johnson County next to its neighbors
Pawnee County is closest, 18 miles from center to center; the sixth, Lancaster County, is 35 miles off. Otoe County leads the group on income ($82,188), Richardson County trails ($60,108), and Johnson County out-earns 0 of the six.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | - | $57,632 | $779/mo | 67% |
| Pawnee County, NE | 18 mi | $62,188 | $706/mo | 80% |
| Otoe County, NE | 18 mi | $82,188 | $914/mo | 82% |
| Nemaha County, NE | 22 mi | $60,924 | $772/mo | 66% |
| Gage County, NE | 24 mi | $67,247 | $774/mo | 74% |
| Richardson County, NE | 34 mi | $60,108 | $691/mo | 77% |
| Lancaster County, NE | 35 mi | $74,793 | $1,085/mo | 59% |
The communities that make up Johnson County
The table lists the 5 largest of 5 Census places in Johnson County, by population. Together all 5 hold about 3,069 people, so roughly 42% of residents live outside any named place. This guide covers each of the 5 places and the rural areas around them.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tecumseh | city | 1,882 | $45,357 | $831 | 4 mi |
| Sterling | village | 717 | $70,313 | $830 | 7 mi |
| Cook | village | 328 | $65,714 | $615 | 10 mi |
| Elk Creek | village | 122 | $55,625 | $275 | 10 mi |
| Crab Orchard | village | 20 | $62,500 | n/a | 9 mi |
Johnson County households compared
18% of Johnson County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. About 5% go without health insurance.
| People and households | Johnson County | Nebraska | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.1 | 37.2 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 17.7% | 34.6% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 13.2% | 7.8% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 5.0% | 7.2% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 7.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 11.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 10.6% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.4% | 3.0% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Johnson County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 39.0% |
| 15 to 29 min | 25.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 12.8% |
| 45 to 59 min | 10.3% |
| 60+ min | 12.7% |
Before borrowing in Johnson County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Johnson County borrowers.
- Keeping the car running. At 23% with long commutes, repairs are a frequent Johnson County emergency; first decide if the car is worth fixing.
- Scams. A fee demanded before funding is a red flag; report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (spotting scams).
- Credit reports. Pull free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute errors before applying.
A Johnson County household budget, worked through
Here is the Johnson County median household run through a simple DTI check. Your numbers will differ.
- Median income divided by twelve: $4,803 before taxes
- 16% goes to median rent ($779)
- Under a 40% cap, $1,921 total minus rent leaves $1,142
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Johnson County's.
Licensing and complaints for Johnson County
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Johnson County, check the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. See the Nebraska state guide for the statewide picture.
Checklist for Johnson County applicants
Steps that save money for Johnson County residents:
- Price the Johnson County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Collect three written offers and compare APR and total repaid.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Nebraska.
- Read the final agreement; it must match the offer.
Nearby and statewide guides
For statewide rules and data, see the Nebraska guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Johnson County?
$57,632 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $76,475 for Nebraska. It ranks 86th of 93 in the state.
Is Johnson County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $779 against $1,072 statewide, and 36% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Does this page cover Tecumseh?
Yes, along with the other 4 Census places in Johnson County, such as Sterling, Cook, Elk Creek.
Does living in Johnson County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Johnson County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Who regulates personal lenders for Johnson County residents?
The Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance licenses consumer lenders in Nebraska; the CFPB takes complaints about any lender, and the FTC wants to hear about fee-first offers.