PlainZIP

Fairfield, NE · standard

ZIP Code 68938

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

582
4/sq mi
$68,250
Median income
$150,800
Median home value
17.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

44th pct
household income, US ZIPs
26th pct
home value, US ZIPs
4
people per sq mi
80%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 68938 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 68938 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fairfield, Clay County, Nebraska, home to just 582 residents across 149.2 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 68938 reports a modest median household income of $68,250 (11% below the Nebraska average), while per-capita income is $37,965. The poverty rate stands at 8.5% and the unemployment rate at 1.6%. Median home value sits at $150,800 (19% below the state average), median rent at $635 a month, and owner-occupancy at 79.9%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.2, and the average commute is 20 minutes. Beyond these figures, 3 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Clay County, letting you compare 68938 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

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 68938, Fairfield, 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

582

Population

149.2

Area (sq mi)

4

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 68938?

38.2

Median Age

51.5%

Male

48.5%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 97.4%
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 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$68,250

Median Household Income

-11% vs state

$37,965

Per Capita Income

8.5%

Poverty Rate

1.6%

Unemployment Rate

20.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 68938 ranks nationally

Fairfield, NE household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$68,250 44th percentile higher than 44% 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 61.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.4%

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

What does housing look like?

295

Total Housing Units

249

Occupied Units

46

Vacant Units

2.14

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.9%
Renter 20.1%

$150,800

Median Home Value

-19% vs state

$635

Median Rent

1946

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 68938, employing approximately 89 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,158,000.

17

Businesses

89

Employees

$4.2M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Wholesale trade 5 29.4%
Accommodation and food services 3 17.6%

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 68938 vs 68934 →

ZIP 68938 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 68938 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 68938 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 68938 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
68934 Deweese, NE 188 5.0 mi
68933 Clay Center, NE 932 8.8 mi
68957 Lawrence, NE 631 11.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Clay County

68979 standard
Sutton, NE
Pop: 1,888
68944 standard
Harvard, NE
Pop: 1,323
68933 standard
Clay Center, NE
Pop: 932
68941 standard
Glenvil, NE
Pop: 832
68935 standard
Edgar, NE
Pop: 750
68980 standard
Trumbull, NE
Pop: 388

Related Areas

Clay County Fairfield, NE Nebraska

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 68938 in? ▼
ZIP code 68938 (Fairfield) is located in Clay County, Nebraska. Clay County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/clay-ne.
What is the population of ZIP code 68938? ▼
ZIP code 68938 in Fairfield, NE has a population of 582 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 68938? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 68938 is $68,250, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 68938? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 68938 is $150,800, which is 46% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 68938? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 68938 is White at 97.4%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 68938? ▼
ZIP code 68938 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 89 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 68938? ▼
In ZIP code 68938, 61.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.4% 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 68938? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 68938 is 20.1 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 68938? ▼
In ZIP code 68938, approximately 79.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 68938? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 68938 is 8.5% 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.