MICROPOLITAN AREA
Kearney Micro
Kearney, NE · 2 counties · 57,962 residents (2025 est.) · 1,484 sq mi
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The short version
Kearney is a metro area of 57,292 people. That puts it in the top 5% of US metro areas for household income. The average commute runs 17 minutes. The foreign-born share is 4%. This skews young, with a median age of 35.7. There are 39 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
57,292
+17%since 2000
from 49,141 in 2000
57,962 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,484 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202457K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(3,350)
5 to 95.9%(3,402)
10 to 147.2%(4,101)
15 to 197.8%(4,452)
20 to 249.8%(5,617)
25 to 3412.6%(7,193)
35 to 4412.6%(7,196)
45 to 5410.5%(6,000)
55 to 6410.8%(6,208)
65 to 749.7%(5,546)
75 to 845.2%(3,006)
85 and over2.1%(1,221)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$76,230
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,127 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
50.6%
+24.3 ptssince 2009
from 26.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13%
Retail trade11.3%
Wholesale trade6.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5.3%
Construction5.2%
Finance & insurance5%
Other services4.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
Public administration3.3%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
Education & health services1%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$243,705
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $86,158 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.2
+26%since 2009
from 2.5 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.
56
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic93.6%(45,972)
Black0.5%(238)
Hispanic / Latino4.3%(2,131)
Asian0.6%(304)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic84.6%(48,456)
Black0.7%(393)
Hispanic / Latino10.2%(5,844)
Asian1.5%(858)
Other3%(1,741)
34
+84%since 2009
from 19 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
22
−15%since 2020
from 26 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican7.2%(4,143)
Central American1.7%(980)
Guatemalan1.1%(641)
South American0.5%(243)
Salvadoran0.2%(118)
Honduran0.2%(104)
Bolivian0.2%(90)
Venezuelan0.2%(82)
Spaniard0.1%(80)
Panamanian0.1%(70)
Puerto Rican0.1%(64)
Dominican0.1%(51)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.6%(342)
Japanese0.2%(107)
Nepalese0.2%(80)
Vietnamese0.2%(79)
Korean0.1%(67)
Kazakh0.1%(50)
Asian Indian0.1%(46)
Bangladeshi0%(20)
Thai0%(16)
Laotian0.1%(9)
Filipino0%(2)
Ancestry
German37.8%(21,664)
Irish12.7%(7,268)
English10.4%(5,957)
Swedish5.8%(3,320)
American4%(2,307)
Czech2.9%(1,675)
Polish2.9%(1,652)
Italian2.3%(1,337)
French2.3%(1,303)
Danish2.2%(1,250)
Scottish1.7%(985)
Norwegian1.4%(795)
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.9%(492)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(387)
British0.4%(255)
Welsh0.4%(225)
Swiss0.4%(213)
Russian0.4%(206)
Subsaharan African0.3%(188)
Arab0.2%(133)
French Canadian0.2%(109)
Lebanese0.2%(99)
Austrian0.2%(77)
Portuguese0.1%(77)
Australian0.1%(57)
Croatian0.1%(51)
Finnish0.1%(43)
Hungarian0.1%(43)
Canadian0.1%(39)
Slovak0.1%(39)
Belgian0.1%(38)
Ethiopian0.1%(36)
Greek0.1%(30)
Palestinian0.1%(28)
Lithuanian0%(21)
Ukrainian0%(18)
Armenian0%(12)
Turkish0.1%(8)
Moroccan0%(6)
Romanian0%(3)
Bulgarian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
93.8%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 89.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
82.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 82.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.7%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 91.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.4%(8,425)
Married52.1%(12,072)
Widowed2.5%(572)
Divorced9.1%(2,106)
Women 15+
Never married31.5%(7,330)
Married48.4%(11,271)
Widowed9.2%(2,146)
Divorced10.8%(2,517)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
20.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 20.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 78.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.2%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 26.5% 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)17.6%(472)
Gulf War (1990s)19.7%(528)
Vietnam era36.5%(980)
Korean War9.1%(245)
World War II1.9%(52)
Share of the 2,687 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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2 component counties
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Kearney, NE?
Kearney, NE has about 57,292 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Kearney, NE?
The typical household in Kearney, NE earns about $76,230 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Kearney, NE expensive?
In Kearney, NE, the median home is worth about $243,705, and the typical rent is about $927 a month.
How educated are people in Kearney, NE?
About 34.4% of adults age 25 and over in Kearney, NE hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Kearney, NE?
About 9.6% of people in Kearney, NE live below the federal poverty line.
Has Kearney, NE grown since 1990?
Yes, Kearney, NE has grown since 1990. The population has added about 13,216 residents, a change of about 30 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024