City · Nebraska
Ponca, Nebraska
Ponca, city, in Dixon County, Nebraska. Ponca had 933 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 907 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 727 (±143). GEOID 3139695.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
933
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 907 · ACS 2020-2024: 727 ±143
Median household income
$57,188
±$16,956 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $76,475
Median home value
$201,000
±$26,727 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $238,600
Median gross rent
$505
±$144 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $1,072
Where is Ponca and what county is it in?
Ponca is a city in Dixon County, Nebraska. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 1,179 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Ponca, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 933 people lived in Ponca on July 1, 2025, up 2.2% since 2020, slower than Nebraska (+2.9%). The 2020 Census counted 907 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 727 (±143).
| Measure | Ponca | Dixon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 727 ±143 | 5,545 | −188 |
| Households | 335 ±60 | 2,188 | −110 |
| Average household size | 2.03 ±0.29 | 2.50 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 382 ±59 | 2,515 | −83 |
Ponca's population since 2000
From 1,062 in 2000 to 933 in 2025: down 12.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ponca as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Ponca?
The median resident of Ponca is 43.9 years old; 20.2% are under 18 and 26.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.5%.
| Measure | Ponca | Dixon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.9 ±7.9 | 43.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.2% ±8.0 pts | 25.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 26.8% ±7.6 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Male | 49.9% ±5.4 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.5% ±6.5 pts | 15.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.2% ±6.9 pts | 80.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±2.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.5 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.9% ±1.0 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.7% ±5.1 pts | 8.2% | – |
| With a disability | 15.4% ±6.5 pts | 13.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.8% ±4.4 pts | 9.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.5% ±3.8 pts | 85.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.0% ±6.7 pts | 23.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.7% ±3.5 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.4% ±3.1 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±2.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Ponca earn?
Half of Ponca's 335 households earn less than $57,188 a year (±$16,956), against $72,454 in Dixon County and $76,475 in Nebraska. In 2015-2019 it was $64,739 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Ponca | Dixon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,188 ±$16,956 | $72,454 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $134,889 ±$63,753 | $101,351 | – |
| Per capita income | $65,235 ±$29,378 | $40,876 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.7% ±5.6 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.0% ±16.6 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.3% ±6.8 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 81.8% ±7.7 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.5% ±7.1 pts | 86.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Ponca?
Owners occupy 74.9% of Ponca's occupied homes and renters 25.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,000 by its owner (±$26,727). The median renter pays $505 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Ponca | Dixon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $201,000 ±$26,727 | $155,900 | +$89,868 |
| Median gross rent | $505 ±$144 | $689 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.6% ±28.1 pts | 22.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,337 ±$46 | $1,349 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.9% ±8.1 pts | 76.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.1% ±8.1 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Housing units | 382 ±59 | 2,515 | −83 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.6% ±18.8 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.9% ±7.2 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.9% ±3.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±1.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.6% ±2.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 28.3% ±8.2 pts | 40.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Ponca building?
Builders took permits for 3 new housing units in Ponca in 2025 (3 in single-family houses), 3.2 per 1,000 residents against 5.3 across Nebraska.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Ponca work and get to work?
78.1% of Ponca's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.6 minutes.
| Measure | Ponca | Dixon County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.3% ±7.9 pts | 66.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±4.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.1% ±9.5 pts | 76.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.2% ±4.4 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 6.2% ±3.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.5% ±4.8 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.6 min ±3.6 | 24.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Ponca?
No census tract lies mostly in Ponca; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9776Dixon County | 2,330 | $74,306 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Ponca) · Census block assignment files
How does Ponca compare with other places in Nebraska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ponca is the 10,572nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 119th-most populous of 528 in Nebraska.
Ponca is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 119th | 528 |
Ponca's figures with every place in Nebraska (CSV)
Every place in Nebraska, sortable · Compare Ponca with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Ponca?
26 of the 57 figures for Ponca on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Ponca are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Ponca.