Population 193 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Surprise: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Surprise
Household size in Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.26 | 2.51 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Surprise has 2.57 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Nebraska as a whole looks much the same.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 54.0 | 37.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.1 | 38.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 38.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +0.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.1, Surprise is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.4% | 10.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.6% of households in Surprise, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Surprise
Renters in Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.2% | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 33.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −12.4 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.9% of households in Surprise rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (66.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 12.4 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.1% of the housing in Surprise, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1940 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1941 | 1975 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Surprise is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1941, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $638 | $730 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $553 | $805 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $582 | $911 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,254 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$615 | +$429 | +$606 |
The median renter in Surprise pays $1,254 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Nebraska overall ($1,159). The typical renter here spends 14.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Surprise
Bachelor's degrees in Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 29.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 30.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 32.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +5.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Surprise have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.2%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.1% | 90.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.5% | 90.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.1% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Surprise: 96.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Surprise
| Period | Surprise | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.3% | 5.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 3.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Surprise than nationally: unemployment was 3.7%, against 5.4%. The picture is much the same across Nebraska. 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).
Surprise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise | 2.57 | 44.1 | 3.6% | 12.9% | 14.1% | 1941 | $1,254 | 19.2% | 96.4% | 3.7% |
| Ulysses | 2.52 | 45.1 | 2.7% | 12.2% | 14.3% | 1938 | $1,284 | 19.7% | 96.4% | 3.8% |
| Gresham | 2.38 | 44.5 | 10.9% | 13.0% | 11.9% | 1945 | $826 | 18.1% | 92.6% | 1.6% |
| Rising City | 2.33 | 44.7 | 0.8% | 6.6% | 11.2% | 1957 | $987 | 22.9% | 96.3% | 4.4% |
| Shelby | 2.79 | 39.5 | 9.8% | 18.3% | 15.1% | 1962 | $918 | 17.6% | 96.7% | 2.3% |
| Garrison | 2.45 | 46.1 | 2.3% | 11.9% | 13.5% | 1941 | $1,201 | 20.0% | 96.3% | 3.5% |
| Staplehurst | 2.32 | 42.4 | 9.8% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 1940 | $834 | 32.3% | 93.6% | 1.5% |
| Osceola | 2.49 | 42.3 | 6.4% | 25.6% | 7.1% | 1964 | $525 | 25.5% | 93.4% | 1.9% |
| Stromsburg | 2.31 | 44.8 | 5.2% | 23.3% | 11.6% | 1945 | $848 | 21.7% | 91.8% | 0.4% |
| David City | 2.31 | 36.4 | 6.0% | 31.1% | 7.0% | 1969 | $816 | 31.3% | 89.9% | 0.2% |
| Dwight | 2.16 | 51.1 | 2.5% | 12.7% | 10.0% | 1944 | $832 | 22.2% | 95.6% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wilhelmina, MO · Hornitos, CA · Zortman, MT · Hoxie, TX · Hume, CA · Hunter Creek, OR · Hustburg, TN · Hyattville, WY · Imnaha, OR · Indian Camp, OH
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 Surprise. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.