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ZIP Code68506

Lincoln, NE

Lancaster County · Nebraska · United States
Home to 27,909 people across 6.994 square miles.

Central43 ZIPs in county

At a glance

68506 by the numbers

Every figure below comes from the 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the Census Gazetteer, or is computed from those. Margins of error are shown where they matter.

Population
28k
±1,200 · top 25% nationally
Median household income
$70,501
US median $70,109 · 51th pctile
Median home value
$245,200
US median $207,500 · 61th pctile
Median age
40.7
US median 42 years
Population density
3,990/mi²
top 10% most dense
Land area
6.994 mi²
plus 0.153 mi² water

Location

Where 68506 is

40.783832, -96.639581 · Census ZCTA internal pointOpen larger map →
Coordinates40.783832, -96.639581
Time zoneAmerica/Chicago
CountyLancaster County
StateNebraska (NE)
Land area6.994 mi²
Coordinate sourceCensus ZCTA internal point

Local time

America/Chicago

—:—:—

Current weather

Live from the National Weather Service

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Distance to major cities

Straight-line, computed from coordinates

Denver, CO446.0 mi
Chicago, IL473.3 mi
Dallas, TX553.3 mi
Houston, TX765.0 mi

People

Who lives in 68506

27,909 residents in 12,466 households, averaging 2.24 people per household. The largest age group is 65+ at 23.8% of residents.

Age distribution

Share of residents by age band

Under 1820.1%
18-2411.3%
25-3412.7%
35-4410.3%
45-5410.4%
55-6411.4%
65+23.8%

Households

Composition and size

Total households12,466
Average household size2.24
Family households55.9%
Living alone38.7%
Median age40.7 years
Households with internet89.5%

Race & ethnicity

Census race categories. Hispanic or Latino origin is asked separately and overlaps these groups.

White86.1%
Black1.5%
Asian3.6%
Native American1.2%
Pacific Islander0.1%
Other1.3%
Two or more6.3%
Hispanic / Latino8.0%

Income & work

What people earn in 68506

The median household here earns $70,501 a year, above the US median of $70,109, which puts 68506 ahead of 51% of American ZIP codes. 8.8% of residents live below the poverty line.

Compared to the US

This ZIP against the national median

Median household income$70,501
LowestHighest
Higher than 51% of all US ZIP codes.
Median household income$70,501 ±$4,418
Per capita income$42,243
Poverty rate8.8%
Unemployment rate1.6%
Labor force participation64.9%

Household income distribution

Share of households in each bracket

<$25k15.0%
$25-50k21.3%
$50-75k17.4%
$75-100k14.7%
$100-150k14.1%
$150-200k8.9%
$200k+8.6%

Educational attainment among residents 25 and older: 45.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 95.8% finished high school.

Housing

Homes and rent in 68506

A typical home is valued at $245,200, and median rent runs $1,147 a month. This is an owner-majority area — 63.8% of occupied homes are owned, and the typical building went up in 1972.

Costs

Typical values

Median home value$245,200
Median gross rent$1,147/mo
Median year built1972
Housing units13,044
Vacancy rate4.4%

Own vs. rent

Of 12,466 occupied units

Owner-occupied63.8%
Renter-occupied36.2%
Owner households7,948
Renter households4,518

Building types

Units by structure size

Single family70.2%
2-4 units5.3%
5-19 units15.8%
20+ units8.6%
Mobile / other0.2%

Getting to work

How 68506 commutes

73.6% of workers drove alone, and the average one-way trip takes 19.5 minutes.

Mode of transport

Workers 16 and older

Drove alone73.6%
Carpooled9.0%
Public transit0.6%
Walked2.4%
Bike0.4%
Worked from home13.1%

Travel time

Mean commute 19.5 minutes

<10 min16.0%
10-1953.0%
20-2918.3%
30-446.7%
45-592.7%
60+3.3%

Overview

Understanding ZIP code 68506

ZIP code 68506 is assigned to Lincoln, NE, and falls within Lancaster County. Like every US postal code, it began as a mail-routing device rather than a geographic boundary — the US Postal Service groups delivery routes under a single code so carriers and sorting equipment can process mail efficiently. Today it also serves as a practical shorthand for the area itself: roughly 27,909 people live inside it.

At 3,990 residents per square mile spread over 6.994 square miles, 68506 reads as a densely built-up area. It is a populous postal code, and density shapes almost everything else on this page — how people get to work, whether they own or rent, and what housing costs.

Household earnings track close to the national picture. The median of $70,501 puts 68506 near the middle of the pack, ahead of 51% of them. The US median for comparison is $70,109. Bear in mind that median income describes the midpoint household, not the average — it is not pulled upward by a handful of very high earners the way a mean would be.

Living here

What life in Lincoln looks like

Housing in 68506 costs close to the national median. A typical home is valued at $245,200 against a US median of $207,500, and median gross rent runs $1,147 a month. The split between owning and renting is fairly even at 63.8% owner-occupied, which tends to indicate a mix of housing types rather than one dominant form.

The building stock is dominated by detached single-family houses, which account for 70.2% of housing units here. The median construction year is 1972, making the housing here from the later twentieth century. At 4.4%, vacancy is low — housing here is tightly held.

The population skews broadly in line with the national age profile, with a median age of 40.7 against 42 nationally. The average household holds 2.24 people, and 55.9% are family households.

Getting to work takes 19.5 minutes on average one way. The dominant mode is drove alone at 73.6% of workers, while 13.1% work from home. Commute patterns are one of the better proxies for how a place actually functions day to day.

Where to stay

Where to stay in Lincoln, NE

Lincoln is a built-up area, so you will generally find a mix of chain hotels near the main approach roads and a smaller number of independent properties closer to the centre. Staying in 68506 itself often costs less than an equivalent room in the nearest downtown while keeping you close to it.

Median rent in 68506 is $1,147 a month, which sits in the middle of the national range; accommodation pricing locally tends to be similarly mid-market. For reference, Denver, CO is about 446.0 miles away in a straight line, which is worth factoring in if you are comparing a stay here against one closer to the city centre.

Availability and pricing change constantly, so the live search below will give you a more accurate picture than any figure we could publish here. It opens results for this area on Booking.com.

Book a Hotel →

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Practical uses

What ZIP code 68506 is used for

Beyond addressing mail, 68506 does a lot of quiet administrative work. Retailers use it to calculate shipping and sales tax at checkout. Insurers use it to set premiums, since risk profiles vary geographically. Employers and marketers use it to define service areas. Government agencies use it to route benefits and organise reporting. If you have ever been asked for a postal code by a form that clearly does not intend to send you anything, this is why.

For anyone weighing a move, 68506 offers a compact profile of Lincoln: 27,909 residents, a median household income of $70,501, 45.2% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and an unemployment rate of 1.6%. A handful of figures like these answer more relocation questions than most neighbourhood guides do.

One caution worth repeating: a postal code is not a neighbourhood. 68506 may cover parts of several distinct areas, and a single neighbourhood in Lincoln may be split across more than one code. Boundaries also shift as USPS adjusts delivery routes. Treat the figures here as describing a delivery area, which is what they actually measure.

Nearby

ZIP codes near 68506

The eight closest postal codes by centroid distance, each with its own full profile. You can also browse every Nebraska ZIP code or use the ZIP Express Lookup to search by city, county or time zone.

Other ZIP codes in Lincoln

Lincoln is served by 29 postal codes.

More in Lancaster County

Look up another

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Questions

Common questions about 68506

What city is ZIP code 68506 in?
68506 serves Lincoln, Nebraska, in Lancaster County, United States.
What is the population of 68506?
About 27,909 people live in ZIP code 68506, according to the US Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. The margin of error on that figure is ±1,200. That works out to roughly 3,990 people per square mile.
What is the average income in 68506?
The median household income in 68506 is $70,501 per year, compared with a US median of $70,109. Per capita income is $42,243. Median income is more representative than an average because it isn't skewed by a small number of very high earners.
How expensive is housing in 68506?
The median home value is $245,200 and median gross rent is $1,147 a month. 63.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Is 68506 a good place to live?
That depends on what you're looking for, but here are the facts: 45.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the unemployment rate is 1.6%, and the median age is 40.7. The average commute is 19.5 minutes. We publish the numbers and let you weigh them.
What time zone is 68506 in?
68506 observes Central Time (America/Chicago). This zone observes daylight saving time.
How big is ZIP code 68506?
ZIP code 68506 covers 6.994 square miles of land plus 0.153 square miles of water, per the US Census Bureau's 2023 Gazetteer files.
Is 68506 urban, suburban or rural?
By population density, 68506 reads as a densely built-up area. It holds 3,990 people per square mile across 6.994 square miles of land. For reference, densities above 10,000 per square mile generally indicate an urban core, 1,000–3,000 is typically suburban, and under 200 is rural. These are rules of thumb rather than official designations — the Census Bureau classifies urban and rural areas by census block, not by ZIP code.
How much is rent in 68506?
Median gross rent in 68506 is $1,147 a month, according to the American Community Survey. Gross rent includes contract rent plus the estimated cost of utilities and fuels, so it is closer to what a tenant actually pays than a headline rent figure. Of 12,466 occupied homes here, 4,518 are rented.
What is the commute like from 68506?
The average one-way commute from 68506 takes about 19.5 minutes. The most common way to travel is drove alone, used by 73.6% of workers aged 16 and over. Commute figures cover people who were employed and working outside the home during the survey period.
How many people work in 68506?
About 14,673 residents of 68506 are employed. Labor force participation stands at 64.9% and the unemployment rate is 1.6%. Note this counts residents by where they live, not by where they work — a ZIP with many offices can have far more jobs than employed residents.
Where should I stay when visiting 68506?
Accommodation in and around Lincoln, NE ranges with the character of the area. See the 'Where to stay' section on this page for local context, and use the live search there for current availability and pricing.
Does 68506 cover more than one city or county?
This page lists Lincoln as the primary place and Lancaster County as the county. ZIP codes follow mail delivery routes rather than municipal or county lines, so a single code can straddle boundaries, and USPS also recognises alternate acceptable city names for many codes. If you need the definitive answer for a specific street address, the USPS ZIP Code Lookup is the authority.
Can ZIP code 68506 change?
Yes. USPS adjusts ZIP codes as delivery volumes shift — codes are occasionally split, merged, retired or newly created, and boundaries move more often than most people assume. The Census Bureau's ZCTA definitions, which underpin the demographic figures on this page, are redrawn only once a decade, so the two can drift apart between censuses.

Methodology

Where this data comes from

  • Postal geography — GeoNames open postal code database (CC BY 4.0), cross-checked against the US Census Gazetteer.
  • Demographics, income, housing, commute — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates, ZIP Code Tabulation Area 68506. Tables B01001, B01002, B01003, B02001, B03003, B08301, B08303, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25024, B25035, B25064, B25077, B28002.
  • Land and water area — US Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer Files.
  • Weather — NOAA National Weather Service, fetched live in your browser.
  • Map — OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
On accuracy. ACS figures are survey estimates, not counts. The margin of error shown alongside the population figure means the true value has a 90% chance of falling in that range. For small ZIP codes the error can be large relative to the estimate — treat the direction as more reliable than the exact number. This page reports data for ZCTA 68506, the Census approximation of the USPS delivery area.