Columbus, NE
Platte County · Nebraska · United States
Home to 30,619 people across 287.672 square miles.
At a glance
68601 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.
Location
Where 68601 is
| Coordinates | 41.452353, -97.394665 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| County | Platte County |
| State | Nebraska (NE) |
| Land area | 287.672 mi² |
| Coordinate source | Census 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, CO | 415.5 mi |
|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | 504.6 mi |
| Dallas, TX | 600.3 mi |
| Houston, TX | 815.7 mi |
People
Who lives in 68601
30,619 residents in 12,025 households, averaging 2.55 people per household. The largest age group is under 18 at 26.1% of residents.
Age distribution
Share of residents by age band
Households
Composition and size
| Total households | 12,025 |
|---|---|
| Average household size | 2.55 |
| Family households | 64.7% |
| Living alone | 31.9% |
| Median age | 38.8 years |
| Households with internet | 88.2% |
Race & ethnicity
Census race categories. Hispanic or Latino origin is asked separately and overlaps these groups.
Income & work
What people earn in 68601
The median household here earns $70,697 a year, above the US median of $70,109, which puts 68601 ahead of 51% of American ZIP codes. 9.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
Compared to the US
This ZIP against the national median
| Median household income | $70,697 ±$5,239 |
|---|---|
| Per capita income | $37,184 |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% |
| Labor force participation | 70.2% |
Household income distribution
Share of households in each bracket
Educational attainment among residents 25 and older: 24.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 88.7% finished high school.
Housing
Homes and rent in 68601
A typical home is valued at $204,700, and median rent runs $872 a month. This is an owner-majority area — 70.6% of occupied homes are owned, and the typical building went up in 1974.
Costs
Typical values
| Median home value | $204,700 |
|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $872/mo |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Housing units | 12,963 |
| Vacancy rate | 7.2% |
Own vs. rent
Of 12,025 occupied units
| Owner households | 8,485 |
|---|---|
| Renter households | 3,540 |
Building types
Units by structure size
Getting to work
How 68601 commutes
82.2% of workers drove alone, and the average one-way trip takes 16.3 minutes.
Mode of transport
Workers 16 and older
Travel time
Mean commute 16.3 minutes
Overview
Understanding ZIP code 68601
ZIP code 68601 is assigned to Columbus, NE, and falls within Platte 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 30,619 people live inside it.
At 106 residents per square mile spread over 287.672 square miles, 68601 reads as a rural 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 $70,697 puts 68601 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 Columbus looks like
Housing in 68601 costs close to the national median. A typical home is valued at $204,700 against a US median of $207,500, and median gross rent runs $872 a month. Ownership dominates: 70.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, which usually signals an established residential area with relatively low turnover.
The building stock is dominated by detached single-family houses, which account for 77.5% of housing units here. The median construction year is 1974, making the housing here from the later twentieth century.
The population skews broadly in line with the national age profile, with a median age of 38.8 against 42 nationally. The average household holds 2.55 people, and 64.7% are family households.
Getting to work takes 16.3 minutes on average one way. The dominant mode is drove alone at 82.2% of workers.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Columbus, NE
68601 covers a rural area, and accommodation within the postal code itself is likely to be sparse — perhaps a country inn, a lodge or a vacation rental rather than a conventional hotel. Widening the search radius is usually the practical approach, and it also opens up more availability at short notice.
Local costs are modest — median rent here is $872 a month — and accommodation prices in the area tend to be correspondingly reasonable. For reference, Denver, CO is about 415.5 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.
Opens Booking.com in a new tab. We are not affiliated with Booking.com and receive nothing from this link.
Practical uses
What ZIP code 68601 is used for
Beyond addressing mail, 68601 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, 68601 offers a compact profile of Columbus: 30,619 residents, a median household income of $70,697, 24.0% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and an unemployment rate of 2.8%. 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. 68601 may cover parts of several distinct areas, and a single neighbourhood in Columbus 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 68601
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 Columbus
Columbus is served by 2 postal codes.
More in Platte County
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Questions
Common questions about 68601
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Can ZIP code 68601 change?
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 68601. 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).