Population 300,632 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lincoln
Household size in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lincoln run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.8 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.3 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.9 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.9, Lincoln is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.6, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Lincoln (9.4%), below the national share of 11.6%. Nebraska as a whole looks much the same.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Lincoln
Renters in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.3% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.1% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than four in ten households in Lincoln rent their homes (43.1%), above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 38.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 37 Nebraska cities with 5,000+ people, only two have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Lincoln: just 5.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 1.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Lincoln was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Nebraska overall, where the median home dates to 1975. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $788 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $815 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $982 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,226 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$438 | +$429 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lincoln pays $1,226 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Nebraska as a whole ($1,159). Rents are up $438 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Lincoln
Bachelor's degrees in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.2% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.4% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.4% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in Lincoln (41.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 5.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.0% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.4% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.1% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Lincoln is above the national rate: 93.1% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Nebraska.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Lincoln
| Period | Lincoln | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Lincoln has been strong: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Lincoln compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 2.41 | 35.9 | 9.4% | 43.1% | 5.4% | 1982 | $1,226 | 41.4% | 93.1% | 3.2% |
| Saltillo | 2.81 | 34.4 | 10.3% | 32.1% | 2.1% | 2010 | $1,368 | 55.6% | 97.3% | 0.9% |
| Rokeby | 2.39 | 56.0 | 4.4% | 16.4% | 6.7% | 2001 | $1,386 | 54.1% | 99.3% | 2.7% |
| Walton | 2.84 | 41.5 | 5.3% | 12.7% | 4.0% | 1998 | $1,264 | 48.0% | 96.2% | 0.3% |
| Roca | 2.86 | 45.1 | 2.6% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 1991 | $1,179 | 43.1% | 98.4% | 1.3% |
| Prairie Home | 2.70 | 43.1 | 5.0% | 10.8% | 7.7% | 1999 | $1,377 | 43.8% | 96.7% | 0.0% |
| Denton | 2.60 | 44.4 | 4.3% | 11.9% | 3.7% | 2001 | $1,066 | 39.8% | 97.4% | 2.3% |
| Malcolm | 2.63 | 38.0 | 6.2% | 21.6% | 3.2% | 1990 | $1,054 | 45.3% | 94.9% | 2.3% |
| Waverly | 2.92 | 38.5 | 4.9% | 18.3% | 5.1% | 1989 | $1,094 | 40.7% | 98.4% | 0.0% |
| Davey | 2.42 | 47.3 | 8.0% | 25.6% | 4.2% | 1985 | $1,030 | 37.6% | 98.4% | 0.4% |
| Bennet | 2.83 | 37.2 | 7.7% | 10.1% | 3.1% | 1991 | $1,201 | 49.7% | 98.2% | 1.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Worcester, MA · Tomball, TX · Surprise, AZ · Suwanee, GA · Thousand Oaks, CA · Temecula, CA · Thornton, CO · Tempe, AZ · Traverse City, MI · Topeka, KS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Lincoln. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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