Elm Creek, NE · standard
ZIP Code 68836
Buffalo County, Nebraska - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,688
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $86,806
- Median income Above-median income area
- $224,800
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 27.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Elm Creek pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 30%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 49%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68836 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 68836 (Elm Creek, NE) rose +9.8% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 68836 covers 383.6 square miles in Elm Creek, Buffalo County, Nebraska (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,688 residents on file, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 68836 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $86,806 (13% above the average Nebraska ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,691. The poverty rate is 8.7%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $224,800 (20% above the average Nebraska ZIP), while 76.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $805.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 27.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33, and the average commute is 23 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Buffalo County, so 68836 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 68836
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Elm Creek, NE
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 68836.
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
9 establishments
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
8 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 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 68836, Elm Creek, 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
1,688
Population
383.6
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 68836?
33.0
Median Age
48.6%
Male
51.4%
Female
0.7%
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?
$86,806
Median Household Income
+13% vs state ZIP avg
$37,691
Per Capita Income
8.7%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 68836 ranks among Nebraska ZIPs
Elm Creek, 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)
$86,806 Top 24% higher than 76% 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
751housing units
751
Total Housing Units
673
Occupied Units
78
Vacant Units
2.84
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$224,800
Median Home Value
+20% vs state ZIP avg
$805
Median Rent
1974
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 59 business establishments in ZIP 68836, employing approximately 352 people with a combined annual payroll of $18,455,000.
59
Businesses
352
Employees
$18.5M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 9 | 15.3% |
| Construction | 8 | 13.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 13.6% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 11.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 10.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 5.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 5.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 5.1% |
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 68836 vs 68861 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68861 | Odessa, NE | 118 | 6.1 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 68836, 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 (1,688 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Buffalo County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 68836 in?
ZIP code 68836 (Elm Creek) is located in Buffalo County, Nebraska. Buffalo County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/buffalo-ne.
What is the population of ZIP code 68836?
ZIP code 68836 in Elm Creek, NE has a population of 1,688 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 68836?
The median household income in ZIP 68836 is $86,806, which is 14% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 68836?
The median home value in ZIP 68836 is $224,800, which is 19% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68836?
The largest racial group in ZIP 68836 is White at 93.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 68836?
ZIP code 68836 has 59 business establishments employing approximately 352 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 68836?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 68836 are: Finance and insurance (9), Construction (8), Transportation and warehousing (8). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 68836?
In ZIP code 68836, 57.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.8% 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 68836?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 68836 is 23.3 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 68836?
In ZIP code 68836, approximately 76.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68836?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 68836 is 8.7% 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 68836's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 68836 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Elm Creek, NE ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.