The Nebraska panhandle is two-thirds as high and a quarter as broad as the rest of the state is.

Major cities in the Nebraska panhandle include: As part of a general trend in migration from rural to metropolitan areas, most counties in the Nebraska panhandle have seen population decreases in recent decades; however, Scotts Bluff, Dawes, and Cheyenne counties increased their populations from the years 1990 to 2000 and again from 2000 to 2010.

[3] While emigration from the panhandle exceeds immigration, a study coordinated by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln surveyed and interviewed a sample of newcomers to the region in order to understand their demographic makeup and reasons for relocation.

Results indicated that immigrants to the Nebraska panhandle were on average younger and had higher average incomes and educational levels than other area residents; immigrants cited a "simpler pace of life," reduced congestion, and lower costs of living among their reasons for relocation.

[4] The Nebraska panhandle has a great deal of geographical and geological diversity; the region itself is made up of several smaller areas.