ZIP 68042 vs ZIP 68003

This side-by-side compares ZIP 68042 (Memphis, NE) and ZIP 68003 (Ashland, NE) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 68042 has a population of 122 at 72 people per square mile, while ZIP 68003 has 4,284 at 13 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 68042 reports a median household income of $73,750 against $95,709 in ZIP 68003, with per-capita income of $27,526 vs $48,184. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 6.3% in 68042 and 38.0% in 68003. Poverty rate reads 3.8% vs 4.2%, and unemployment 0.0% vs 2.2% — 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 $168,800 in 68042 versus $306,500 in 68003, with median rent of — and $866 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 69.6% vs 81.2%. 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.