United States · state

Nebraska population 2026

Q: What is the population of Nebraska in 2026?

The latest official figure is 2,018,006, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Nebraska would have about 2 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Nebraska has 2,018,006 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 12,415 more than a year earlier (+0.62%). It is 38th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 0.6% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 2 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Nebraska in numbers

Population: 2 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.62% +12,415 people
Change since 2020: +2.79% from 2 million
Share of the US: 0.6% 38th of 50 states and DC
Population density: 10per km² 198,950 km²
Births in the year: 24 thousand deaths: 18 thousand
International migration: +7 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: −366 more people left than moved in

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 6,136, 6,599 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 366 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

That is about as many people as Equatorial Guinea (2 million).

Population of Nebraska by year

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	1,829,591
2011	1,840,914
2012	1,853,691
2013	1,865,813
2014	1,879,955
2015	1,892,059
2016	1,906,483
2017	1,916,998
2018	1,925,512
2019	1,932,571
2020	1,963,318
2021	1,964,697
2022	1,972,595
2023	1,988,172
2024	2,005,591
2025	2,018,006

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	2,018,006	+12,415	+0.62%
2024	2,005,591	+17,419	+0.88%
2023	1,988,172	+15,577	+0.79%
2022	1,972,595	+7,898	+0.40%
2021	1,964,697	+1,379	+0.07%
2020	1,963,318	+30,747	+1.59%
2019	1,932,571	+7,059	+0.37%
2018	1,925,512	+8,514	+0.44%
2017	1,916,998	+10,515	+0.55%
2016	1,906,483	+14,424	+0.76%
2015	1,892,059	+12,104	+0.64%
2014	1,879,955	+14,142	+0.76%
2013	1,865,813	+12,122	+0.65%
2012	1,853,691	+12,777	+0.69%
2011	1,840,914	+11,323	+0.62%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Nebraska among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Nebraska

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Omaha486,051
Lincoln294,757
Bellevue55,510
Grand Island51,440
Kearney33,021
Fremont26,474

Questions

What is the population of Nebraska in 2026?

The latest official figure is 2,018,006, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Nebraska would have about 2 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Nebraska’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 12,415 people (+0.62%) in the latest year, and has changed +2.79% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 6,136, 6,599 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 366 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

How does Nebraska rank in the US?

Nebraska is 38th of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 0.6% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Nebraska?

About 10 people per km², on 198,950 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Nebraska?

Omaha, with about 486 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Nebraska population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/nebraska/

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