ZIP 68003 vs ZIP 68042

This side-by-side compares ZIP 68003 (Ashland, NE) and ZIP 68042 (Memphis, NE) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 68003 has a population of 4,284 at 13 people per square mile, while ZIP 68042 has 122 at 72 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 68003 reports a median household income of $95,709 against $73,750 in ZIP 68042, with per-capita income of $48,184 vs $27,526. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 38.0% in 68003 and 6.3% in 68042. Poverty rate reads 4.2% vs 3.8%, and unemployment 2.2% vs 0.0% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $306,500 in 68003 versus $168,800 in 68042, with median rent of $866 and — per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 81.2% vs 69.6%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.