Lancaster County, NE
Get paid to care for your family member in Lancaster County, Nebraska
About 53,300 people in Lancaster County are 65 or older — 16% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Nebraska as a whole. Roughly 5,100 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Lancaster County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Lancaster
- People 65 and older
- 53,300
- People 85 and older
- 5,100
- Median age
- 34.5
- Rank in Nebraska
- 2nd
16% of Lancaster residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 93 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Lancaster County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2). Nebraska as a whole is 17% aged 65 or older.
What Nebraska pays family caregivers
$15/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Nebraska Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Nebraska's programs at a glance
- Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
- Aged & Disabled Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Waitlists can be long — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Nebraska guide →
Towns and cities in Lancaster County
Nebraska sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Lincoln and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Lancaster County:
- Lincoln300,619
- Waverly4,543
- Hickman3,285
- Bennet1,089
- Firth649
- Malcolm485
- Hallam315
- Panama232
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Lancaster apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Lancaster County start with Nebraska's program:
Apply online via iServe Nebraska or at a local DHHS office; for the AD Waiver call 877-667-6266 to request materials.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Nebraska program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Lancaster questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Lancaster County?
Yes. Nebraska runs real Medicaid programs — like Personal Assistance Services (PAS) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Lancaster County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Lancaster County?
Reported figures in Nebraska are around $15/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Lancaster County apply?
Families in Lancaster County start with the state, not the county. Apply online via iServe Nebraska or at a local DHHS office; for the AD Waiver call 877-667-6266 to request materials.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Lancaster County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Nebraska: no — dhhs.ne.gov: 'a spouse or the parent/guardian of a minor child cannot be paid providers'
How many people in Lancaster County might need this?
53,300 residents of Lancaster County are 65 or older and about 5,100 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Nebraska's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Lancaster do you cover?
All of Lancaster County — including Lincoln, Waverly, Hickman, Bennet and Firth. Eligibility is set by Nebraska, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Nebraska's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Nebraska counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
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