PlainZIP

Sterling, NE · standard

ZIP Code 68443

Johnson County, Nebraska - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

1,047
4/sq mi
$67,969
Median income
$174,000
Median home value
27.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Sterling pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

43th pct
household income, US ZIPs
36th pct
home value, US ZIPs
4
people per sq mi
78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68443 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 68443 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sterling, Johnson County, Nebraska, home to just 1,047 residents across 268.5 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 68443 reports a modest median household income of $67,969 (11% below the Nebraska average), while per-capita income is $30,881. Poverty here runs at 8.5%, with unemployment measured at 2.8%. The typical home here is valued at $174,000 (7% below the state average); renters pay a median of $812 monthly, and 78.1% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 27.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Johnson County, so you can benchmark 68443 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 68443

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sterling, NE

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 68443.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 68443, Sterling, NE · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

1,047

Population

268.5

Area (sq mi)

4

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 68443?

42.0

Median Age

51.6%

Male

48.4%

Female

0.9%

Foreign-Born

White 93.3%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$67,969

Median Household Income

-11% vs state

$30,881

Per Capita Income

8.5%

Poverty Rate

2.8%

Unemployment Rate

25.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 68443 ranks nationally

Sterling, NE household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$67,969 43rd percentile higher than 43% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 67.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

476

Total Housing Units

433

Occupied Units

43

Vacant Units

2.77

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 78.1%
Renter 21.9%

$174,000

Median Home Value

-7% vs state

$812

Median Rent

1954

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 21 business establishments in ZIP 68443, employing approximately 99 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,291,000.

21

Businesses

99

Employees

$2.3M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 5 23.8%
Transportation and warehousing 4 19.1%
Wholesale trade 3 14.3%
Other services (except public administration) 3 14.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 68443 vs 68344 →

ZIP 68443 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 68443 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 68443 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 68443 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
68344 Douglas, NE 441 8.3 mi
68332 Crab Orchard, NE 146 9.6 mi
68324 Burr, NE 174 8.5 mi
68450 Tecumseh, NE 3,182 9.7 mi
68419 Panama, NE 256 12.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Johnson County

68450 standard
Tecumseh, NE
Pop: 3,182
68329 standard
Cook, NE
Pop: 673
68348 standard
Elk Creek, NE
Pop: 256
68332 standard
Crab Orchard, NE
Pop: 146

Related Areas

Johnson County Sterling, NE Nebraska

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 68443 in? ▼
ZIP code 68443 (Sterling) is located in Johnson County, Nebraska. Johnson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/johnson-ne.
What is the population of ZIP code 68443? ▼
ZIP code 68443 in Sterling, NE has a population of 1,047 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 68443? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 68443 is $67,969, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 68443? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 68443 is $174,000, which is 37% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68443? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 68443 is White at 93.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 68443? ▼
ZIP code 68443 has 21 business establishments employing approximately 99 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 68443? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 68443 are: Construction (5), Transportation and warehousing (4), Wholesale trade (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 68443? ▼
In ZIP code 68443, 67.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 68443? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 68443 is 25.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 68443? ▼
In ZIP code 68443, approximately 78.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68443? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 68443 is 8.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.