How many people live in Howard County, NE?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 6,600 people living in Howard County, NE. That makes Howard County the 45th-most populous county in Nebraska. It is home to 0.33% of people living in the state.
6.57K
population of Howard County, NE (2024)
0.33%
County share of the Nebraska population (2024)
About 6,600 people lived in Howard County, NE in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Howard County, NE’s age demographics?
About 1,500 Howard County, NE residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 23.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.5% of Nebraska’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 1,600 Howard County residents, or 23.7% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 24.2% of Nebraska’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Howard County, NE's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Howard County, NE’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 93.5% of the Howard County, NE population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Howard County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.7%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.67% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Howard County, NE has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Nebraska as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Howard County, NE is St. Paul with about 2,400 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Howard County, NE ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | St. Paul | 2,441 |
| 2. | Dannebrog | 273 |
| 3. | Elba | 197 |
| 4. | Howard City (Boelus) | 177 |
| 5. | Farwell | 132 |
| 6. | Cushing | 36 |
| 7. | Cotesfield | 31 |
| 8. | Balance of Howard County | 3,285 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
