Lexington, NE · standard
ZIP Code 68850
Dawson County, Nebraska - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 12,295
- 18/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $69,238
- Median income Near-median income area
- $161,400
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lexington pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 45th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 30th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 18
- people per sq mi
- 60%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68850 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 68850 (Lexington, NE) rose +5.8% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 266.5 in 2023 to 281.9 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 68850 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lexington, Dawson County, Nebraska, home to 12,295 residents across 675.5 square miles, a density of 18 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 68850 reports a modest median household income of $69,238 (10% below the average Nebraska ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,321. The poverty rate is 12.5%, with unemployment at 1.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $161,400 (14% below the average Nebraska ZIP) and median rent is $963; 59.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32, and the average commute is 17 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Nebraska and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 68850.
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 68850
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lexington, NE
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 68850.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
49 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
35 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
32 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
27 establishments
- Construction
Construction
23 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 68850, Lexington, 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
12,295
Population
675.5
Area (sq mi)
18
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 68850?
32.0
Median Age
52.7%
Male
47.3%
Female
38.4%
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?
$69,238
Median Household Income
-10% vs state ZIP avg
$27,321
Per Capita Income
12.5%
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Unemployment Rate
16.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 68850 ranks among Nebraska ZIPs
Lexington, 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)
$69,238 41st percentile higher than 41% 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
4,312housing units
4,312
Total Housing Units
4,104
Occupied Units
208
Vacant Units
3.00
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$161,400
Median Home Value
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$963
Median Rent
1973
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
+5.8%
YoY Change (2024)
282
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+182%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 68850 have increased 5.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +182% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +7.3% | 189 |
| 2021 | +8.1% | 204 |
| 2022 | +16.4% | 237 |
| 2023 | +12.3% | 267 |
| 2024 | +5.8% | 282 |
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 278 business establishments in ZIP 68850, employing approximately 6,114 people with a combined annual payroll of $297,754,000.
278
Businesses
6,114
Employees
$297.8M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 49 | 17.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 35 | 12.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 32 | 11.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 27 | 9.7% |
| Construction | 23 | 8.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 18 | 6.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 17 | 6.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 17 | 6.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 16 | 5.8% |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 4.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 11 | 4.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 7 | 2.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 6 | 2.2% |
| Information | 4 | 1.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 68850, 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 (12,295 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Dawson County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 68850 in?
ZIP code 68850 (Lexington) is located in Dawson County, Nebraska. Dawson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/dawson-ne.
What is the population of ZIP code 68850?
ZIP code 68850 in Lexington, NE has a population of 12,295 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 68850?
The median household income in ZIP 68850 is $69,238, which is 9% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 68850?
The median home value in ZIP 68850 is $161,400, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68850?
The largest racial group in ZIP 68850 is White at 31.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 60.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 68850?
ZIP code 68850 has 278 business establishments employing approximately 6,114 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 68850?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 68850 are: Retail trade (49), Accommodation and food services (35), Other services (except public administration) (32). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 68850?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 68850 increased by 5.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 182%. 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 68850?
In ZIP code 68850, 41.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.9% 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 68850?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 68850 is 16.9 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 68850?
In ZIP code 68850, approximately 59.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 40.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68850?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 68850 is 12.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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- See how ZIP 68850 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
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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.