Nebraska statistical areas

The U.S. State of Nebraska currently has 16 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated three combined statistical areas, four metropolitan statistical areas, and nine micropolitan statistical areas in Nebraska.[1] As of 2025, the largest of these is the Omaha–Fremont, NE-IA CSA, comprising the area around Nebraska's largest city, Omaha.

Statistical areas

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.[2] These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.

The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population,[2] "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core".[2] The OMB further divides a CBSA based on population into a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) for those with at least 50,000 people or a micropolitan statistical area (μSA) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.[2]

The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent CBSAs where the employment interchange rate (percent commuting from A to B plus percent commuting from B to A) is at least 15%.[2] A primary statistical area (PSA) includes all CSAs and any CBSA that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.

The 16 United States statistical areas and 93 counties of the State of Nebraska[a]
Combined statistical area[1] 2025 population (est.)[3] Core-based statistical area[1] 2025 population (est.)[3] County 2025 population (est.)[3]
Omaha–Fremont, NE-IA CSA 1,047,893
925,481 (NE)
Omaha, NE-IA MSA 1,009,836
887,424 (NE)
Douglas County, Nebraska 606,460
Sarpy County, Nebraska 208,303
Pottawattamie County, Iowa 92,996
Cass County, Nebraska 27,657
Saunders County, Nebraska 23,702
Washington County, Nebraska 21,302
Mills County, Iowa 14,793
Harrison County, Iowa 14,623
Fremont, NE μSA 38,057 Dodge County, Nebraska 38,057
Lincoln–Beatrice, NE CSA 373,792 Lincoln, NE MSA 352,081 Lancaster County, Nebraska 334,049
Seward County, Nebraska 18,032
Beatrice, NE μSA 21,711 Gage County, Nebraska 21,711
none Grand Island, NE MSA 78,076 Hall County, Nebraska 63,633
Merrick County, Nebraska 7,905
Howard County, Nebraska 6,538
Kearney, NE μSA 57,962 Buffalo County, Nebraska 51,172
Kearney County, Nebraska 6,790
Norfolk, NE μSA 49,228 Madison County, Nebraska 36,106
Pierce County, Nebraska 7,378
Stanton County, Nebraska 5,744
Columbus, NE μSA 46,583 Platte County, Nebraska 35,649
Colfax County, Nebraska 10,934
Hastings, NE μSA 40,577 Adams County, Nebraska 31,071
Clay County, Nebraska 6,170
Webster County, Nebraska 3,336
Scottsbluff, NE μSA 36,272 Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska 35,586
Banner County, Nebraska 686
North Platte, NE μSA 33,972 Lincoln County, Nebraska 33,303
Logan County, Nebraska 669
Lexington, NE μSA 26,255 Dawson County, Nebraska 24,452
Gosper County, Nebraska 1,803
Sioux City–Le Mars, IA-NE-SD CSA 171,435
21,687 (NE)
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA 145,738
21,687 (NE)
Woodbury County, Iowa 106,649
Dakota County, Nebraska 21,687
Union County, South Dakota 17,402
Le Mars, IA μSA 25,697 Plymouth County, Iowa 25,697
none Otoe County, Nebraska 16,531
Saline County, Nebraska 14,996
York County, Nebraska 14,564
Custer County, Nebraska 10,500
Box Butte County, Nebraska 10,494
Red Willow County, Nebraska 10,307
Holt County, Nebraska 10,067
Wayne County, Nebraska 10,020
Hamilton County, Nebraska 9,678
Cheyenne County, Nebraska 9,528
Phelps County, Nebraska 8,994
Cuming County, Nebraska 8,823
Butler County, Nebraska 8,507
Cedar County, Nebraska 8,373
Knox County, Nebraska 8,335
Keith County, Nebraska 8,100
Dawes County, Nebraska 7,858
Richardson County, Nebraska 7,530
Nemaha County, Nebraska 7,102
Jefferson County, Nebraska 7,070
Thurston County, Nebraska 6,752
Burt County, Nebraska 6,678
Antelope County, Nebraska 6,352
Dixon County, Nebraska 5,602
Cherry County, Nebraska 5,561
Fillmore County, Nebraska 5,458
Boone County, Nebraska 5,355
Polk County, Nebraska 5,270
Johnson County, Nebraska 5,218
Thayer County, Nebraska 4,842
Sheridan County, Nebraska 4,809
Furnas County, Nebraska 4,524
Morrill County, Nebraska 4,404
Nuckolls County, Nebraska 4,100
Valley County, Nebraska 4,094
Chase County, Nebraska 3,718
Kimball County, Nebraska 3,391
Nance County, Nebraska 3,290
Harlan County, Nebraska 3,000
Sherman County, Nebraska 2,924
Perkins County, Nebraska 2,849
Brown County, Nebraska 2,826
Franklin County, Nebraska 2,795
Frontier County, Nebraska 2,655
Pawnee County, Nebraska 2,510
Hitchcock County, Nebraska 2,467
Greeley County, Nebraska 2,154
Deuel County, Nebraska 1,862
Garden County, Nebraska 1,804
Garfield County, Nebraska 1,710
Boyd County, Nebraska 1,674
Dundy County, Nebraska 1,568
Rock County, Nebraska 1,259
Sioux County, Nebraska 1,188
Hayes County, Nebraska 821
Keya Paha County, Nebraska 792
Wheeler County, Nebraska 789
Hooker County, Nebraska 686
Thomas County, Nebraska 639
Loup County, Nebraska 570
Grant County, Nebraska 561
Blaine County, Nebraska 458
Arthur County, Nebraska 396
McPherson County, Nebraska 369
State of Nebraska 2,018,006
The 13 core-based statistical areas of the State of Nebraska[b]
2025 rank Core-based statistical area[1] Population
2025 estimate[3] Change 2020 Census[4] Change 2010 Census[5]
1 Omaha, NE-IA MSA (NE) 887,424+5.04%844,871+13.83%742,205
2 Lincoln, NE MSA 352,081+3.49%340,217+12.60%302,157
3 Grand Island, NE MSA 78,076+1.35%77,038+5.93%72,726
4 Kearney, NE μSA 57,962+2.10%56,772+7.95%52,591
5 Norfolk, NE μSA 49,228+0.99%48,744+0.98%48,271
6 Columbus, NE μSA 46,583+3.80%44,878+4.97%42,752
7 Hastings, NE μSA 40,577−0.31%40,704−2.43%41,718
8 Fremont, NE μSA 38,057+2.39%37,167+1.30%36,691
9 Scottsbluff, NE μSA 36,272−1.32%36,758−2.40%37,660
10 North Platte, NE μSA 33,972−4.01%35,392−4.48%37,051
11 Lexington, NE μSA 26,255+0.97%26,004−1.39%26,370
12 Beatrice, NE μSA 21,711+0.03%21,704−2.72%22,311
13 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA (NE) 21,687+0.49%21,582+2.74%21,006
Omaha, NE-IA MSA 1,009,836+4.36%967,604+11.82%865,350
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD CSA 145,738+0.97%144,334+4.91%137,577
The three combined statistical areas of the State of Nebraska[c]
2025 rank Combined statistical area[1] Population
2025 estimate[3] Change 2020 Census[4] Change 2010 Census[5]
1 Omaha–Fremont, NE-IA CSA (NE) 925,481+4.93%882,038+13.24%778,896
2 Lincoln–Beatrice, NE CSA 373,792+3.28%361,921+11.54%324,468
3 Sioux City–Le Mars, IA-NE-SD CSA (NE) 21,687+0.49%21,582+2.74%21,006
Omaha–Fremont, NE-IA CSA 1,047,893+4.29%1,004,771+11.39%902,041
Sioux City–Le Mars, IA-NE-SD CSA 171,435+0.83%170,032+4.59%162,563

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ An out-of-state area and its population are displayed in green. An area that extends into more than one state is displayed in purple. A purple population number over a black population number show the total population versus the in-state population.
  2. ↑ For CBSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that CBSA as well as the CBSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.
  3. ↑ For CSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that CSA as well as the CSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas (July 21, 2023). "OMB BULLETIN NO. 23-01" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved November 5, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "2020 Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas". Office of Management and Budget. July 16, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. July 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2024.

41°32′16″N 99°47′42″W / 41.5378°N 99.7951°W / 41.5378; -99.7951 (State of Nebraska)