Lincoln, NE · standard
ZIP Code 68502
Lancaster County, Nebraska - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 26,238
- 1,714/sq mi High-density area
- $68,523
- Median income Near-median income area
- $227,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 39.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lincoln pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 44th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 49%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,714
- people per sq mi
- 56%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68502 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 68502 (Lincoln, NE) rose +3.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 231.2 in 2023 to 239.5 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 68502 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, with 26,238 residents across 15.3 square miles, a density of 1,714 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 68502 reports a modest median household income of $68,523 (11% below the average Nebraska ZIP), while per-capita income is $38,066. The poverty rate is 13.3%, with unemployment at 4.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $227,300 (22% above the average Nebraska ZIP) and median rent is $850; 55.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 39.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.4, and the average commute is 18 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lancaster County, so 68502 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 68502
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lincoln, NE
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 68502.
- Construction
Construction
106 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
73 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
70 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
64 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
60 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, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 68502, Lincoln, 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
26,238
Population
15.3
Area (sq mi)
1,714
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 68502?
36.4
Median Age
51.9%
Male
48.1%
Female
8.4%
Foreign-Born
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?
$68,523
Median Household Income
-11% vs state ZIP avg
$38,066
Per Capita Income
13.3%
Poverty Rate
4.6%
Unemployment Rate
17.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 68502 ranks among Nebraska ZIPs
Lincoln, NE household income vs. every Nebraska ZIP code
Median household income among 556 reporting Nebraska ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$68,523 39th percentile higher than 39% of 556 Nebraska ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Nebraska 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
11,843housing units
11,843
Total Housing Units
11,208
Occupied Units
635
Vacant Units
2.17
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$227,300
Median Home Value
+22% vs state ZIP avg
$850
Median Rent
1946
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.6%
YoY Change (2024)
240
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+140%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 68502 have increased 3.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +140% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.3% | 170 |
| 2021 | +11.9% | 190 |
| 2022 | +13.6% | 216 |
| 2023 | +7.3% | 231 |
| 2024 | +3.6% | 240 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 592 business establishments in ZIP 68502, employing approximately 7,003 people with a combined annual payroll of $377,281,000.
592
Businesses
7,003
Employees
$377.3M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 106 | 17.9% |
| Retail trade | 73 | 12.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 70 | 11.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 64 | 10.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 60 | 10.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 40 | 6.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 37 | 6.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 34 | 5.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 30 | 5.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15 | 2.5% |
| Manufacturing | 14 | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 13 | 2.2% |
| Educational services | 13 | 2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 11 | 1.9% |
| Information | 8 | 1.4% |
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 68502 vs 68508 →
ZIP 68502 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 68516
Lincoln (68516)
38,956 residents
- 68521
Lincoln (68521)
31,733 residents
- 68506
Lincoln (68506)
27,952 residents
- 68502
Lincoln (68502)
26,238 residents
- 68510
Lincoln (68510)
20,514 residents
- 68504
Lincoln (68504)
16,444 residents
- 68503 15,264
Lincoln (68503)
15,264 residents
- 68508 14,475
Lincoln (68508)
14,475 residents
- 68522 12,728
Lincoln (68522)
12,728 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 68502 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 68502 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 68523
Lincoln (68523)
$141,786 median income
- 68512
Lincoln (68512)
$104,448 median income
- 68516
Lincoln (68516)
$100,821 median income
- 68522
Lincoln (68522)
$77,597 median income
- 68506
Lincoln (68506)
$72,637 median income
- 68502
Lincoln (68502)
$68,523 median income
- 68521
Lincoln (68521)
$67,483 median income
- 68510
Lincoln (68510)
$65,951 median income
- 68504 $56,213
Lincoln (68504)
$56,213 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 68502 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68508 | Lincoln, NE | 14,475 | 2.3 mi |
| 68512 | Lincoln, NE | 11,659 | 3.3 mi |
| 68506 | Lincoln, NE | 27,952 | 3.1 mi |
| 68503 | Lincoln, NE | 15,264 | 3.0 mi |
| 68522 | Lincoln, NE | 12,728 | 3.3 mi |
| 68510 | Lincoln, NE | 20,514 | 3.6 mi |
| 68521 | Lincoln, NE | 31,733 | 5.6 mi |
| 68516 | Lincoln, NE | 38,956 | 4.6 mi |
| 68504 | Lincoln, NE | 16,444 | 5.2 mi |
| 68523 | Lincoln, NE | 1,390 | 4.6 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 68502, both outside NE so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (26,238 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lancaster County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 68502 in?
ZIP code 68502 (Lincoln) is located in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Lancaster County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lancaster-ne.
What is the population of ZIP code 68502?
ZIP code 68502 in Lincoln, NE has a population of 26,238 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 68502?
The median household income in ZIP 68502 is $68,523, which is 10% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 68502?
The median home value in ZIP 68502 is $227,300, which is 18% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68502?
The largest racial group in ZIP 68502 is White at 72.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 68502?
ZIP code 68502 has 592 business establishments employing approximately 7,003 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 68502?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 68502 are: Construction (106), Retail trade (73), Other services (except public administration) (70). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 68502?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 68502 increased by 3.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 140%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 68502?
In ZIP code 68502, 60.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 39.4% 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 68502?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 68502 is 17.9 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 68502?
In ZIP code 68502, approximately 55.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 44.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68502?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 68502 is 13.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 68502's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 68502 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lincoln, NE ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.