Thurston County, NE
Get paid to care for your family member in Thurston County, Nebraska
About 829 people in Thurston County are 65 or older — 12% of everyone who lives here. Thurston County skews younger than Nebraska overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 73 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.
Who needs care in Thurston
- People 65 and older
- 829
- People 85 and older
- 73
- Median age
- 28.7
- Rank in Nebraska
- 63rd
12% of Thurston residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 93 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Thurston County is one of the most rural counties in the country (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 8). 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 Thurston County
Nebraska sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Pender and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Thurston County:
- Pender1,089
- Winnebago892
- Walthill702
- Rosalie155
- Thurston117
- Emerson114
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Thurston apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Thurston 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 →Thurston questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Thurston County?
Yes. Nebraska runs real Medicaid programs — like Personal Assistance Services (PAS) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Thurston County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Thurston 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 Thurston County apply?
Families in Thurston 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 Thurston 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 Thurston County might need this?
829 residents of Thurston County are 65 or older and about 73 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 Thurston do you cover?
All of Thurston County — including Pender, Winnebago, Walthill, Rosalie and Thurston. 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:
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.