Population 6,595 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ralston
Household size in Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.61 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.62 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.61 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ralston are small: just 2.32 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.41 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9 | 36.0 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.7 | 36.5 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 37.4 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.9 | 37.7 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.1 | +1.7 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Ralston are younger than 38.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 39.9, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 11.0% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 11.5% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 10.9% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 10.8% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.6 pts | −0.2 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.7% of households in Ralston, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 7.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 37 Nebraska cities with 5,000+ people, only three have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Ralston
Renters in Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0% | 31.5% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 33.9% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.8% | 34.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.7% | 33.8% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Ralston is about as common as it is nationally: 35.7% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 38.3% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share has risen 6.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 9.2% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 8.2% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 7.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 6.3% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Ralston: just 5.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. That is in line with the rest of the Omaha area. Vacancy is down 6.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1973 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1975 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1979 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Ralston run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, 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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $674 | $844 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $746 | $938 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $901 | $1,042 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,159 | $1,337 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$485 | +$493 | +$429 | +$606 |
Rent in Ralston runs $1,159 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $485 a month since 2006–10, up 72%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.8% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Ralston
Bachelor's degrees in Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 34.0% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.9% | 34.8% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.8% | 36.8% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.3% | 39.7% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Ralston (28.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the north.
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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.9% | 91.2% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.9% | 91.2% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.4% | 91.7% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.8% | 92.5% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ralston is close to the national rate: 89.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Omaha area (92.5%). The share with a diploma is down 4.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 Ralston
| Period | Ralston | Omaha area | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 5.8% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 6.0% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ralston has been low: just 2.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Ralston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralston | 2.32 | 38.9 | 6.7% | 35.7% | 5.4% | 1972 | $1,159 | 28.3% | 89.8% | 2.3% |
| La Vista | 2.58 | 36.8 | 12.5% | 39.6% | 3.5% | 1993 | $1,312 | 40.1% | 97.2% | 3.8% |
| Papillion | 2.78 | 39.2 | 6.0% | 24.1% | 3.8% | 2000 | $1,576 | 52.6% | 96.9% | 2.1% |
| Omaha area | 2.57 | 37.7 | 10.8% | 33.8% | 6.3% | 1979 | $1,337 | 39.7% | 92.5% | 3.5% |
| Chalco | 2.32 | 35.2 | 8.8% | 32.8% | 1.2% | 1993 | $1,175 | 35.2% | 96.2% | 1.7% |
| Bellevue | 2.60 | 36.7 | 11.6% | 33.3% | 5.1% | 1982 | $1,341 | 33.7% | 92.5% | 3.2% |
| Boys Town | 2.63 | 18.5 | 10.2% | 100.0% | 72.4% | 1971 | $1,201 | 31.4% | 100.0% | 16.1% |
| Offutt AFB | 3.16 | 24.7 | 15.1% | 99.3% | 9.4% | 1995 | $1,670 | 26.8% | 96.6% | 3.0% |
| Richfield | 2.44 | 48.5 | 2.7% | 5.6% | 14.2% | 1978 | $1,301 | 40.3% | 95.2% | 2.1% |
| St. Columbans | 2.64 | 40.0 | 3.6% | 17.2% | 10.9% | 1966 | $1,299 | 39.9% | 97.7% | 2.8% |
| Carter Lake | 2.70 | 42.0 | 18.1% | 9.0% | 7.0% | 1967 | $1,361 | 9.6% | 90.4% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Belcamp, MD · Bayfield, CO · Bayville, NY · Beacon Falls, CT · Bean Station, TN · Bear Valley Springs, CA · Beardstown, IL · Bedford Hills, NY · Bedford, NY · Bay Harbor Islands, FL
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 Ralston. 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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