What is the population of Lincoln city?

Lincoln city has 291,932 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #2 of 593 in Nebraska.

What is the median household income in Lincoln city?

Median household income in Lincoln city is $69,991 a year, 10.9% below the national figure of $78,538.

How much does it cost to rent or buy in Lincoln city?

Median gross rent is $1,045 a month and the median home value is $248,200, so rent absorbs about 17.9% of median household income.

Is Lincoln city affordable compared with the rest of the US?

Homes cost about 3.5× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Lincoln city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 17.9% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.

Aerial view of a dense city center, illustrating the US cities ZIP code directory

Nebraska · Census place 28000

Lincoln, NE population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Lincoln, Nebraska (Lincoln, NE — Census place “Lincoln city”) is 291,932 residents, ranking #2 of 593 places in Nebraska. Median household income is $69,991, the median home is worth $248,200 and median gross rent runs $1,045 a month. Looking for the Lincoln Nebraska ZIP code list? 18 ZIP codes serve Lincoln, NE: 68502, 68503, 68504, 68505, 68506, 68507, 68508, 68510, 68512, 68514, 68516, 68520, 68521, 68522, 68524, 68526, 68528, 68588.

Population: 291,932Lincoln city residents
Median household income: $69,991Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $248,200Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $1,045Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 33.4 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 55.8%Owner-occupied households

Lincoln ZIP codes (Nebraska)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Lincoln.

The Lincoln NE ZIP code list below covers 18 ZIP codes. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

What the numbers mean in Lincoln city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Lincoln city median would spend about 17.9% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 3.5× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 12.6% of residents and 55.8% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Lincoln city, NE in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Lincoln city is a mid-size city in Nebraska, with 291,932 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #2 of 593 ranked by population — larger than 99% of them. The median age here is 33.4 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.

Households in Lincoln city earn a median of $69,991 a year, 10.9% below the national figure of $78,538 and 4% above the $67,419 median for the 119 Nebraska cities we cover. The median is the midpoint household, not an average, so a handful of very high earners cannot drag it upward the way they distort a mean. Poverty reaches 12.6% of residents here, above the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Lincoln city is valued at $248,200, 18.2% below the national figure and 53% above the $161,800 peer median, while median gross rent runs $1,045 a month, 25.7% below the national figure, or roughly $12,540 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 17.9% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is cheap relative to what people here earn. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 3.5×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 55.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

All values below were released by the Census for this exact geography, with no gap-filling on our side. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in Nebraska.

More Nebraska coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Lincoln city?: Lincoln city has 291,932 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #2 of 593 in Nebraska.
What is the median household income in Lincoln city?: Median household income in Lincoln city is $69,991 a year, 10.9% below the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Lincoln city?: Median gross rent is $1,045 a month and the median home value is $248,200, so rent absorbs about 17.9% of median household income.
Is Lincoln city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 3.5× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Lincoln city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 17.9% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Lincoln city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.