Village · Nebraska
Wausa, Nebraska
Wausa, village, in Knox County, Nebraska. Wausa had 579 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 592 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 698 (±94). GEOID 3151735.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
579
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 592 · ACS 2020-2024: 698 ±94
Median household income
$59,375
±$28,701 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $76,475
Median home value
$85,900
±$18,565 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $238,600
Median gross rent
$763
±$310 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $1,072
Where is Wausa and what county is it in?
Wausa is a village in Knox County, Nebraska. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 1,130 residents per square mile in 2020.
Wausa lies entirely within Lincoln Township (Knox County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Wausa, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 579 people lived in Wausa on July 1, 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, while Nebraska grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 592 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 698 (±94).
| Measure | Wausa | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 698 ±94 | 8,363 | +136 |
| Households | 307 ±53 | 3,422 | +84 |
| Average household size | 2.13 ±0.31 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 375 ±62 | 4,521 | +83 |
Wausa's population since 2000
From 636 in 2000 to 579 in 2025: down 9.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wausa 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 Wausa?
The median resident of Wausa is 46.5 years old; 18.8% are under 18 and 27.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.3%.
| Measure | Wausa | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.5 ±8.3 | 44.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.8% ±6.1 pts | 24.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.2% ±6.3 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Male | 39.7% ±5.4 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.3% ±3.9 pts | 2.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.1% ±5.5 pts | 84.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±3.8 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.8% ±5.3 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.9% ±2.8 pts | 7.8% | – |
| With a disability | 15.9% ±7.2 pts | 16.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 7.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.1% ±5.9 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 26.0% ±7.8 pts | 19.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.5% ±4.0 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.4% ±6.8 pts | 91.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.2 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Wausa earn?
Half of Wausa's 307 households earn less than $59,375 a year (±$28,701), against $64,636 in Knox County and $76,475 in Nebraska. In 2015-2019 it was $84,610 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Wausa | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,375 ±$28,701 | $64,636 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $73,297 ±$13,835 | $78,823 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,717 ±$5,437 | $33,627 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.0% ±2.8 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±17.3 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.3% ±2.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.0% ±8.8 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.7% ±8.7 pts | 83.1% | – |
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 Wausa?
Owners occupy 82.1% of Wausa's occupied homes and renters 17.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $85,900 by its owner (±$18,565). The median renter pays $763 a month including utilities, and 57.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Wausa | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $85,900 ±$18,565 | $127,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $763 ±$310 | $647 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 57.1% ±31.6 pts | 25.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $820 ±$158 | $1,224 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.1% ±8.3 pts | 78.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.9% ±8.3 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Housing units | 375 ±62 | 4,521 | +83 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.8% ±5.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.3% ±19.2 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 91.2% ±5.9 pts | 84.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 54.7% ±9.3 pts | 32.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.8% ±6.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
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 Wausa building?
Builders took permits for 3 new housing units in Wausa in 2025 (3 in single-family houses), 5.2 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 Wausa work and get to work?
90.7% of Wausa's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.4 minutes.
| Measure | Wausa | Knox County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.1% ±6.2 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±2.6 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 90.7% ±4.1 pts | 77.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.6% ±1.5 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 5.3% ±3.0 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.4% ±2.1 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.4 min ±3.6 | 19.5 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 Wausa?
No census tract lies mostly in Wausa; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9763Knox County | 2,359 | $61,649 |
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 Wausa) · Census block assignment files
How does Wausa compare with other places in Nebraska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wausa is the 12,608th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 178th-most populous of 528 in Nebraska.
Wausa 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 | 178th | 528 |
Wausa's figures with every place in Nebraska (CSV)
Every place in Nebraska, sortable · Compare Wausa 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 Wausa?
23 of the 57 figures for Wausa 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 Wausa 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 Wausa.