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CITY

Lincoln

Nebraska · 301,522 residents (2025 est.) · 100.0 sq mi
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Part of the Lincoln metro area
The short version

With 294,856 people, Lincoln is a city in Nebraska. This skews young, with a median age of 33.4. 69,275 more people live here than in 2000. There are 2,949 people per square mile. Owners hold 56% of the housing stock. The average commute runs 18 minutes.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $71,867, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
42% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 43%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Lincoln

Among the 31 cities and towns in the Lincoln metro

  • 19th in household income$71,867
  • 4th in share with a bachelor's degree41.8%
  • 7th in home value$264,000
  • 2nd in diversity score50.2
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
294,856
+31%since 2000
from 225,581 in 2000
301,522 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,949 / sq mi
+31%since 2000
from 2,256 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.4
+7%since 2000
from 31.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
100.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
182K213K243K274K305K19902000201020202024Lincoln
2024295K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(17,092)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(18,359)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146%(17,722)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.7%(22,707)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2411.8%(34,694)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.4%(42,448)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(37,217)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(30,700)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.2%(30,183)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.9%(26,311)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.2%(12,418)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(5,005)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$71,867
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,605 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,672
+89%since 2000
from $20,984 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.0%
+20.7 ptssince 2009
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.449
+3%since 2010
from 0.436 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade5.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$264,000
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $101,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,086
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $519 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
56.1%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 58.0% in 2000
43.9% rent
Vacancy rate
4.5%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.30 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.36 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.4%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 21.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 45.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.7
+28%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
58
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.8%(198,087)
Black3%(6,803)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(8,154)
Asian3.1%(7,006)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic76.3%(225,097)
Black4.1%(12,059)
Hispanic / Latino9%(26,669)
Asian4.4%(13,075)
Other6.1%(17,956)
Diversity Score
50
+54%since 2009
from 33 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.9%(17,346)
Central American1.2%(3,487)
Guatemalan0.6%(1,689)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,180)
South American0.4%(1,152)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,013)
Cuban0.2%(586)
Honduran0.1%(391)
Colombian0.1%(390)
Peruvian0.1%(254)
Spaniard0.1%(247)
Dominican0.1%(235)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(142)
Panamanian0%(126)
Venezuelan0%(121)
Chilean0%(70)
Bolivian0%(31)
Asian origin
Vietnamese1.6%(4,820)
Asian Indian0.6%(1,782)
Chinese0.6%(1,657)
Burmese0.4%(1,147)
Filipino0.2%(698)
Korean0.1%(404)
Kazakh0.1%(370)
Thai0.1%(300)
Malaysian0.1%(229)
Nepalese0.1%(186)
Cambodian0.1%(175)
Sri Lankan0.1%(170)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Japanese0.1%(165)
Laotian0%(129)
Pakistani0%(125)
Hmong0%(58)
Taiwanese0%(32)
Uzbek0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(104)
Chamorro0%(96)
Ancestry
German30.8%(90,934)
Irish11.3%(33,266)
English10.2%(30,024)
Czech4%(11,834)
Swedish3.5%(10,203)
American3.1%(9,218)
Polish2.1%(6,312)
Italian1.9%(5,709)
French1.9%(5,567)
Norwegian1.5%(4,383)
Dutch1.5%(4,304)
Scottish1.4%(4,204)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.4%(4,056)
Arab1.3%(3,864)
Iraqi0.7%(2,206)
Russian0.6%(1,869)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,745)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(1,637)
Welsh0.5%(1,478)
British0.4%(1,255)
Swiss0.3%(973)
Greek0.2%(714)
West Indian0.2%(601)
Hungarian0.1%(416)
Lebanese0.1%(384)
Portuguese0.1%(350)
Austrian0.1%(323)
Nigerian0.1%(323)
Canadian0.1%(261)
Finnish0.1%(258)
Haitian0.1%(244)
Ethiopian0.1%(241)
Latvian0.1%(230)
Slovak0.1%(229)
Iranian0.1%(211)
Lithuanian0.1%(192)
Croatian0.1%(187)
Palestinian0.1%(170)
Brazilian0.1%(159)
Romanian0.1%(154)
Moroccan0%(135)
Somali0%(112)
Turkish0%(103)
Egyptian0%(92)
Jamaican0%(86)
Belgian0%(70)
Syrian0%(69)
Armenian0%(69)
Ghanaian0%(55)
Serbian0%(35)
Slovene0%(34)
Jordanian0%(28)
Kenyan0%(15)
Israeli0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
41.8%
+8.6 ptssince 2000
from 33.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.2%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 90.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.3%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.4 min
+70%since 2000
from 10.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.9%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 81.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.4%
+8.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 6.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.0%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 72.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 81.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.7%
+7.5 ptssince 2009
from 36.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
49.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
9.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.6%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.7%
+3.5 ptssince 2012
from 9.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.3%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.7%
+8.9 ptssince 2017
from 83.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.1%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 94.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 77.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 88.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 4.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.1%(52,010)
Married46.6%(56,259)
Widowed2.2%(2,641)
Divorced8.2%(9,847)
Women 15+
Never married36.3%(43,858)
Married45.7%(55,260)
Widowed6.3%(7,563)
Divorced11.8%(14,245)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.3%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 63.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 12.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.1%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.8%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 25.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.8%(3,557)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.5%(2,630)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.7%(4,187)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(644)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(82)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 12,808 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Lincoln, decade by decade

Lincoln population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990191,972$67,336$147,36428.5%15.1
2000225,581$73,968$185,08033.3%28.1
2010258,379$70,268$202,26335.1%37.7
2020291,082$72,799$218,65239.9%50.1
2024294,856$71,867$264,00041.8%50.2

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Lincoln to nearby cities

LINCOLN VS
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Home value$341,600+29%
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LINCOLN VS
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Home value$159,300−40%
Population12,318−96%
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LINCOLN VS
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LINCOLN VS
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Home value$311,000+18%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Lincoln, Nebraska?

Lincoln, Nebraska has about 294,856 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lincoln, Nebraska?

The typical household in Lincoln, Nebraska earns about $71,867 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lincoln, Nebraska expensive?

In Lincoln, Nebraska, the median home is worth about $264,000, and the typical rent is about $1,086 a month.

How educated are people in Lincoln, Nebraska?

About 41.8% of adults age 25 and over in Lincoln, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lincoln, Nebraska?

About 12.7% of people in Lincoln, Nebraska live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lincoln, Nebraska grown since 1990?

Yes, Lincoln, Nebraska has grown since 1990. The population has added about 102,884 residents, a change of about 54 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →