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CITY · 2020 ACS

Lincoln

Nebraska · 291,082 residents · 100.0 sq mi
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The short version

Lincoln is home to 291,082 people in Nebraska. This skews young, with a median age of 34.0. 65,501 more people live here than in 2000. 78% were living in the same home a year earlier. The average commute runs 19 minutes. About 40% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 34.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
291,082
+29%since 2000
from 225,581 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.0
+9%since 2000
from 31.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
100.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
182K213K243K274K305K19902000201020202024Lincoln
2024295K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56%(17,597)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(18,346)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.4%(18,607)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.8%(22,696)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.9%(28,886)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415%(43,691)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.9%(37,553)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.4%(30,209)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6410.8%(31,536)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.8%(25,566)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.9%(11,403)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.7%(4,992)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$60,063
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,605 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,345
+54%since 2000
from $20,984 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
38.7%
+11.4 ptssince 2009
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.8%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 10.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.9%
US avg: 10%
Other services7.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration6.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$180,400
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $101,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$871
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $519 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
56.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 58.0% in 2000
43.6% rent
Persons per household
2.36 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.36 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.0
+5%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.8%(198,087)
Black3%(6,803)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(8,154)
Asian3.1%(7,006)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic76.5%(222,749)
Black4.5%(13,224)
Hispanic / Latino8.6%(24,934)
Asian4.7%(13,765)
Other4.4%(12,942)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.4%(15,419)
Central American0.8%(2,192)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,159)
Puerto Rican0.3%(757)
Salvadoran0.3%(735)
Cuban0.2%(635)
Spaniard0.1%(257)
Peruvian0.1%(200)
Dominican0.1%(195)
Colombian0%(116)
Argentine0%(90)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese1.6%(4,604)
Chinese0.8%(2,250)
Asian Indian0.6%(1,845)
Burmese0.3%(834)
Korean0.3%(795)
Thai0.2%(649)
Japanese0.1%(379)
Malaysian0.1%(371)
Filipino0.1%(283)
Pakistani0.1%(145)
Sri Lankan0%(142)
Cambodian0%(133)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(91)
Bhutanese0%(68)
Laotian0%(45)
Taiwanese0%(39)
Hmong0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(156)
Chamorro0%(101)
Tongan0%(64)
Ancestry
German31.9%(91,471)
Irish11.5%(32,824)
English8.6%(24,488)
Czech4.6%(13,289)
Swedish3.7%(10,673)
American3.6%(10,188)
Polish2.6%(7,364)
Italian2.1%(6,157)
French1.9%(5,529)
Norwegian1.8%(5,182)
Dutch1.6%(4,678)
Danish1.6%(4,669)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.4%(3,963)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(2,272)
Iraqi0.8%(2,209)
Russian0.7%(1,974)
Welsh0.6%(1,763)
British0.6%(1,699)
Ukrainian0.4%(1,264)
Swiss0.4%(1,068)
Greek0.2%(673)
West Indian0.2%(654)
Austrian0.2%(582)
Canadian0.2%(529)
Arab0.2%(509)
Hungarian0.2%(431)
Nigerian0.1%(372)
Iranian0.1%(320)
Finnish0.1%(317)
Lebanese0.1%(309)
Portuguese0.1%(283)
Ethiopian0.1%(273)
Latvian0.1%(223)
Romanian0.1%(195)
Haitian0.1%(187)
Somali0.1%(172)
Brazilian0.1%(167)
Lithuanian0%(139)
Croatian0%(137)
Belgian0%(133)
Armenian0%(130)
Turkish0%(126)
Syrian0%(104)
Jamaican0%(95)
Kenyan0%(89)
Serbian0%(81)
Barbadian0%(72)
Ghanaian0%(64)
Jordanian0%(63)
Slovak0%(47)
Bulgarian0%(21)
Israeli0%(16)
Slovene0%(13)
Moroccan0%(12)
Egyptian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.9%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 33.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 90.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
15.0%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 11.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.9 min
+74%since 2000
from 10.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 81.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.5%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 6.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
71.1%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 72.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
41.5%
+5.3 ptssince 2009
from 36.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
49.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
9.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.7%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
77.9%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
7.7%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
63.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
18.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
14.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
12.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
77.8%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
25.8%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.4%(2,756)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21%(2,710)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era37.9%(4,876)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.1%(914)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4%(516)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 12,880 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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Lincoln, Nebraska?

Lincoln, Nebraska has about 291,082 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lincoln, Nebraska?

The typical household in Lincoln, Nebraska earns about $60,063 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 $180,400, and the typical rent is about $871 a month.

How educated are people in Lincoln, Nebraska?

About 39.9% 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 12.8% 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 99,110 residents, a change of about 52 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 →