PlainZIP

Merna, NE · standard

ZIP Code 68856

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

611
2/sq mi
$73,000
Median income
$190,000
Median home value
23.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 49%
household income, US ZIPs
41th pct
home value, US ZIPs
2
people per sq mi
78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68856 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 68856 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Merna, Custer County, Nebraska, home to just 611 residents across 291.0 square miles, a density of 2 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 68856 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,000 (5% below the Nebraska average), while per-capita income is $37,384. 11.2% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 0.8%. On housing, the median home value is $190,000 (2% above the state average) with median rent at $983 per month, and 77.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.2, and the average commute is -. The state and national benchmarks above give 68856's numbers context; they should not be read in isolation.

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 →

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 68856, Merna, 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

611

Population

291.0

Area (sq mi)

2

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 68856?

38.2

Median Age

56.6%

Male

43.4%

Female

0.1%

Foreign-Born

White 90.3%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

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?

$73,000

Median Household Income

-5% vs state

$37,384

Per Capita Income

11.2%

Poverty Rate

0.8%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 68856 ranks nationally

Merna, NE household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$73,000 Top 49% higher than 51% 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 55.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.0%

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

What does housing look like?

303

Total Housing Units

272

Occupied Units

31

Vacant Units

2.63

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.9%
Renter 22.1%

$190,000

Median Home Value

+2% vs state

$983

Median Rent

1963

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 68856, employing approximately 86 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,703,000.

16

Businesses

86

Employees

$2.7M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 4 25.0%
Retail trade 4 25.0%

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

More ZIP Codes in Custer County

68822 standard
Broken Bow, NE
Pop: 4,834
68825 standard
Callaway, NE
Pop: 1,024
68874 standard
Sargent, NE
Pop: 956
69120 standard
Arnold, NE
Pop: 931
68814 standard
Ansley, NE
Pop: 911
68813 standard
Anselmo, NE
Pop: 534

Related Areas

Custer County Merna, NE Nebraska

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 68856 in? ▼
ZIP code 68856 (Merna) is located in Custer County, Nebraska. Custer County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/custer-ne.
What is the population of ZIP code 68856? ▼
ZIP code 68856 in Merna, NE has a population of 611 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 68856? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 68856 is $73,000, which is 4% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 68856? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 68856 is $190,000, which is 32% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68856? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 68856 is White at 90.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 68856? ▼
ZIP code 68856 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 86 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 68856? ▼
In ZIP code 68856, 55.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 68856? ▼
In ZIP code 68856, approximately 77.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68856? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 68856 is 11.2% 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.