Lincoln, NE · standard

ZIP Code 68521

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 10, 2026

31,733
847/sq mi: $67,483
Median income: $252,800
Median home value: 33.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Lincoln pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

43th pct
household income, US ZIPs: Top 42%
home value, US ZIPs: 847
people per sq mi: 58%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68521 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 68521 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 37.5 square miles in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. The area is home to 31,733 residents, producing a population density of 847 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 68521 against Nebraska and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 68521 sits at $67,483 (12% below the Nebraska average), while per-capita income is $35,106. The poverty rate stands at 13.5% and the unemployment rate at 3.2%. On housing, the median home value is $252,800 (35% above the state average) with median rent at $1,231 per month, and 57.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 68521 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 33.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Lancaster County, so you can benchmark 68521 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 68521

Retail trade

98
Construction

94
Accommodation and food services

94
Health care and social assistance

69
Other services (except public administration)

69

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 68521, Lincoln, NE · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-10 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

31,733

Population

37.5

Area (sq mi)

847

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 68521?

33.0

Median Age

49.5%

Male

50.5%

Female

13.7%

Foreign-Born

White 74.3%

African American 4.0%

Asian 7.4%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.8%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 9.5%

Hispanic or Latino 12.4%

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?

$67,483

Median Household Income

-12% vs state

$35,106

Per Capita Income

13.5%

Poverty Rate

3.2%

Unemployment Rate

18.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 68521 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$67,483 43rd percentile higher than 43% of 30,318 US ZIPs

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 58.0%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 33.6%

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

What does housing look like?

15,710

Total Housing Units

15,103

Occupied Units

607

Vacant Units

2.45

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 57.8%

Renter 42.2%

$252,800

Median Home Value

+35% vs state

$1,231

Median Rent

1996

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

+4.0%

YoY Change (2024)

232

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+132%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 68521 have increased 4.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +132% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.7%	164
2021	+11.1%	182
2022	+13.2%	206
2023	+8.2%	223
2024	+4.0%	232

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 666 business establishments in ZIP 68521, employing approximately 15,226 people with a combined annual payroll of $776,661,000.

666

Businesses

15,226

Employees

$776.7M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	98	14.7%
Construction	94	14.1%
Accommodation and food services	94	14.1%
Health care and social assistance	69	10.4%
Other services (except public administration)	69	10.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	40	6.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	38	5.7%
Wholesale trade	34	5.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing	31	4.7%
Finance and insurance	27	4.0%
Transportation and warehousing	23	3.5%
Manufacturing	16	2.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	10	1.5%
Information	9	1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises	8	1.2%
Educational services	4	0.6%

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 68521 vs 68531 →

68521

31,733
68502

26,238
68504

16,444
68503

15,264
68508

14,475
68507

13,429
68512

11,659
68524

5,983
68336

557

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 68521 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

68531

$167,500
68514

$122,125
68512

$104,448
68524

$81,045
68507

$69,488
68502

$68,523
68521

$67,483
68504

$56,213
68503

$54,232

What this shows By household income, ZIP 68521 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
68531	Lincoln, NE	48	2.5 mi
68508	Lincoln, NE	14,475	3.3 mi
68504	Lincoln, NE	16,444	2.7 mi
68503	Lincoln, NE	15,264	3.4 mi
68502	Lincoln, NE	26,238	5.6 mi
68524	Lincoln, NE	5,983	5.0 mi
68507	Lincoln, NE	13,429	5.0 mi
68514	Lincoln, NE	127	5.1 mi
68336	Davey, NE	557	6.9 mi
68512	Lincoln, NE	11,659	8.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lancaster County

Lancaster County Lincoln, NE Nebraska

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 68521 in? ▼

ZIP code 68521 (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 68521? ▼

ZIP code 68521 in Lincoln, NE has a population of 31,733 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 68521? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 68521 is $67,483, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 68521? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 68521 is $252,800, which is 9% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68521? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 68521 is White at 74.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.4% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 68521? ▼

ZIP code 68521 has 666 business establishments employing approximately 15,226 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 68521? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 68521 are: Retail trade (98), Construction (94), Accommodation and food services (94). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 68521? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 68521 increased by 4.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 132%. 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 68521? ▼

In ZIP code 68521, 58.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 33.6% 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 68521? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 68521 is 18.3 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 68521? ▼

In ZIP code 68521, approximately 57.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 42.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68521? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 68521 is 13.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.