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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Lincoln Metro

Lincoln, NE · 2 counties · 266,787 residents · 1,409 sq mi
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The short version

Lincoln is home to 266,787 people. About 32% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The average commute runs 11 minutes. 37,696 more people live here than in 1990. The poverty rate is 9.4%, under the national 12.4%. The typical home is worth $104,228, having risen by half since 1990.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 32.2
US median: 35.2
More educated
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
266,787
+16%since 1990
from 229,091 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
189 / sq mi
+16%since 1990
from 163 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
32.2
+4%since 1990
from 31.0 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,409 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
218K252K287K321K356K19902000201020202024Lincoln
2024344K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.6%(17,604)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.5%(17,287)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.4%(17,169)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198.4%(22,298)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2411%(29,445)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(39,857)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.1%(40,320)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.1%(34,880)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.3%(19,345)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.4%(14,500)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.8%(10,208)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.5%(3,874)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$41,903
+10%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $28,794 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,087
+55%since 1990
from $13,624 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
9.4%
−1.0 ptssince 1990
from 10.4% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$104,228
+30%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $60,917 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$515
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $375 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
61.2%
Unchangedsince 1990
from 61.2% in 1990
38.8% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic95.3%(218,284)
Black2.1%(4,865)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(3,564)
Asian1.3%(2,998)
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.3%(238,144)
Black2.6%(6,939)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(8,616)
Asian2.7%(7,166)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.3%(18,421)
Central American1.1%(3,621)
Guatemalan0.5%(1,693)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,248)
South American0.4%(1,197)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,076)
Cuban0.2%(691)
Colombian0.1%(424)
Honduran0.1%(413)
Spaniard0.1%(295)
Peruvian0.1%(260)
Dominican0.1%(235)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(147)
Panamanian0%(126)
Venezuelan0%(121)
Nicaraguan0%(109)
Chilean0%(70)
Bolivian0%(31)
Asian origin
Vietnamese1.4%(4,852)
Asian Indian0.6%(1,851)
Chinese0.5%(1,749)
Burmese0.4%(1,149)
Filipino0.2%(714)
Korean0.1%(419)
Kazakh0.1%(370)
Thai0.1%(313)
Malaysian0.1%(229)
Nepalese0.1%(222)
Cambodian0.1%(175)
Sri Lankan0.1%(170)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Japanese0%(168)
Laotian0%(129)
Pakistani0%(125)
Hmong0%(58)
Taiwanese0%(32)
Uzbek0%(21)
Mongolian0.1%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(104)
Chamorro0%(96)
Ancestry
German32.6%(112,345)
Irish11.3%(38,798)
English10.1%(34,912)
Czech4.3%(14,821)
Swedish3.5%(12,039)
American3.4%(11,538)
Polish2.1%(7,208)
French1.8%(6,169)
Italian1.8%(6,083)
Norwegian1.5%(5,281)
Dutch1.5%(5,085)
Scottish1.4%(4,906)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.4%(4,682)
Arab1.1%(3,884)
Iraqi0.7%(2,206)
Russian0.6%(2,066)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,972)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(1,952)
Welsh0.5%(1,620)
British0.4%(1,283)
Swiss0.4%(1,211)
Greek0.2%(839)
West Indian0.2%(710)
Austrian0.1%(489)
Hungarian0.1%(477)
Lebanese0.1%(390)
Portuguese0.1%(359)
Slovak0.1%(353)
Nigerian0.1%(324)
Finnish0.1%(289)
Canadian0.1%(285)
Haitian0.1%(255)
Ethiopian0.1%(251)
Latvian0.1%(244)
Iranian0.1%(211)
Lithuanian0.1%(201)
Croatian0.1%(189)
Brazilian0.1%(174)
Palestinian0.1%(170)
Romanian0%(158)
Jamaican0%(140)
Moroccan0%(135)
Somali0%(112)
Belgian0%(110)
Turkish0%(108)
Egyptian0%(92)
Syrian0%(75)
Armenian0%(69)
Ghanaian0%(55)
Serbian0%(48)
Slovene0%(34)
Jordanian0%(28)
Kenyan0%(15)
Israeli0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.9%
+5.2 ptssince 1990
from 26.7% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
90.3%
+2.8 ptssince 1990
from 87.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
10.7%
+1.7 ptssince 1990
from 9.0% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
11.4 min
−33%since 1990
from 16.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.9%(37,206)
Married55.2%(58,914)
Widowed1.9%(2,039)
Divorced8%(8,519)
Women 15+
Never married28.5%(30,814)
Married52.7%(57,048)
Widowed8.4%(9,034)
Divorced10.4%(11,279)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
5.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 10.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 63.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.3%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 11.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 78.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 25.6% 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)27.1%(4,143)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.1%(3,374)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.7%(4,997)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(756)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(82)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 15,266 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
In this metro

Largest cities

LincolnCENTRAL301,522Seward7,892Waverly4,533Hickman3,663Milford2,286Bennet1,104Utica831Firth644Walton579Malcolm486Beaver Crossing368Hallam320Yankee Hill250Panama230Staplehurst229Pleasant Dale214Roca213Garland210Denton188Goehner177Bee168Raymond153Cheney144Sprague134Martell133Davey124Cordova100Princeton99Tamora12Kramer7

The 30 most populous of 33 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

2 component counties

Lancaster CountyCENTRAL334,049Seward County18,032
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Lincoln

Peoria
Pop 363,505
Davenport
Pop 380,452
Clarksville
Pop 349,001
Green Bay
Pop 336,756
Places similar to Lincoln
Head to head

Compare Lincoln side by side

LINCOLN VS
Peoria
Income$72,642+73%
Home value$164,527+58%
Population363,505+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LINCOLN VS
Davenport
Income$73,139+75%
Home value$183,173+76%
Population380,452+8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LINCOLN VS
Clarksville
Income$70,081+67%
Home value$250,970+141%
Population349,001−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LINCOLN VS
Green Bay
Income$79,291+89%
Home value$259,130+149%
Population336,756−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lincoln, NE?

Lincoln, NE has about 266,787 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Lincoln, NE?

The typical household in Lincoln, NE earns about $41,903 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lincoln, NE expensive?

In Lincoln, NE, the median home is worth about $104,228, and the typical rent is about $515 a month.

How educated are people in Lincoln, NE?

About 31.9% of adults age 25 and over in Lincoln, NE hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lincoln, NE?

About 9.4% of people in Lincoln, NE live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lincoln, NE grown since 1990?

Yes, Lincoln, NE has grown since 1990. The population has added about 37,696 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →