Population Trends

Some bare statistics provide a foundation for the social and economic trends that have shaped Auburn and Nemaha County in rural southeastern Nebraska during the last 40 years. In 1960 the official population of Auburn was 3,229. It increased to 3,650 in 1970 and then took a drop to 3,482 in 1980. The decline continued to 3,443 in 1990. The census figures for the year 2000 brought the city down to 3,350. Instead of the “tragic loss” of population commonly attributed to the rural Mid-West, the community has actually had an increase of 121 people over this 40-year period.

Nemaha County, on the other hand, has had a population decline over the same time period, from 9,035 to 7,576. Households in the county (as opposed to population) increased from 3,396 in 1970 to 3,495 in 1980. But since then the figure has declined steadily, to 3,047 in 2000.

Although population in the county has declined over these 40 years, the last 20 years have been better than much of the rest of Nebraska’s rural areas. A recent statistic from the USDA and census report indicated 61 of the state’s 93 counties had net out-migration of ten per cent or more from 1980 to 1999. Nemaha County was not among those 61 counties.

The percentage of elderly (age 65 and over) has stayed relatively constant at 18.5 per cent of the total county population. That would be 1,476 elderly in 1990 and 1,401 elderly in 2000. As expected, the overall decline in population thus has affected the number of elderly. A telling statistic is that, in 1996 for instance, the county recorded 83 births and 100 deaths. That ratio alone underscores the magnitude of the population decline. The population of Auburn remains stable because of a net migration influx.

Nemaha County continues to be basically composed of a white population. Less than three per cent are of African-American, Hispanic, or Asian decent, compared with about 13 per cent in the State of Nebraska as a whole. Home ownership in the county is currently at 72.5%, compared with 67.4% statewide. The median home value is $58,200 compared with $88,000 across Nebraska. Eighty-five and a half per cent of the county’s population has a high school diploma and 22.9% hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from college. Those figures are near the state average.