Kearney, NE

Census Place

2024 Population

34,246

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

32.8

1.23% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.4%

10.9% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$69,724

0.0946% 1-year decline

Population & Diversity

Kearney, NE is home to a population of 34.2k people, from which 96.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.6% of Kearney, NE residents were born outside of the country (1.92k people).

In 2024, there were 18 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (27.9k people) in Kearney, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.55k Other (Hispanic) and 990 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.7%

2024 Citizenship

97.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.7% of Kearney, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Kearney, NE was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Kearney, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kearney, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
27.9k ± 341
Other (Hispanic)
1.55k ± 496
White (Hispanic)
990 ± 361

11.4%

Hispanic Population

3.9k people

11.4% of the people in Kearney, NE are hispanic (3.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Kearney, NE as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Nebraska.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
47,802 ± 5,303 people
Guatemala
13,722 ± 2,866 people
El Salvador
6,860 ± 2,030 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 47,802 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 13,722 and El Salvador with 6,860.

Foreign-Born Population

5.6%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.92k people

5.62%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.91k people

As of 2024, 5.6% of Kearney, NE residents (1.92k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Kearney, NE was 5.62%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Kearney, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
565 ± 161
Gulf War (2001-)
228 ± 125
Gulf War (1990s)
187 ± 88

Kearney, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.48 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Kearney, NE.

Economy

The economy of Kearney, NE employs 19.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Kearney, NE were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,758 people), Retail Trade (2,691 people), and Educational Services (2,246 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($69,063), Finance & Insurance ($63,854), and Wholesale Trade ($59,813).

Employment

Occupations

19.3k

2024 Value

± 1,034

1.39%

1 Year growth

± 7.47%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kearney, NE grew at a rate of 1.39%, from 19k employees to 19.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kearney, NE, are Sales & Related Occupations (2,589 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,431 people), and Management Occupations (1,827 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kearney, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

19.3k

2024 Value

± 1,034

1.39%

1 Year growth

± 7.47%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kearney, NE grew at a rate of 1.39%, from 19k employees to 19.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kearney, NE, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,758 people), Retail Trade (2,691 people), and Educational Services (2,246 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kearney, NE, though some of these residents may live in Kearney, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,925

Median earning men ± $2,692

$34,122

Median earning women ± $3,250

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,385), Wholesale Trade ($66,012), and Public Administration ($63,851).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($85,112), Manufacturing ($51,167), and Public Administration ($47,012).

Education

The student population of Kearney, NE in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,094 male students and 3,787 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Kearney, NE are White (1,160 and 81.7%), Hispanic or Latino (166 and 11.7%), Two or More Races (42 and 2.96%), and Black or African American (27 and 1.9%).

The largest universities in Kearney, NE by number of degrees awarded are University of Nebraska at Kearney (1,467 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Kearney, NE are Elementary Education & Teaching (157 and 10.7%), General Business Administration & Management (153 and 10.4%), and Curriculum & Instruction (104 and 7.09%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $6,690 for in-state students and $14,610 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Kearney, NE, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 5,881 (35.6% men and 64.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 5,881 students enrolled in Kearney, NE, 35.6% men and 64.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,444 records, of which 66.6% were women and 33.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Elementary Education & Teaching
146 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
128 degrees awarded
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, & Treatment Professions
54 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Kearney, NE was Elementary Education & Teaching with 146 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Kearney, NE according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,467 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Nebraska at Kearney with 1,467 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 453 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kearney, NE, which is 0.447 times less than the 1,014 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,160 degrees mean that there were 6.99 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 166 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($6,690) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,874) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($770) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Kearney, NE was $244,600 in 2024, which is 0.735 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $235,800 to $244,600, a 3.73% increase. The homeownership rate in Kearney, NE is 60.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Kearney, NE have an average commute time of 13.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kearney, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$244,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,217

$8,505

Median Property Taxes

±$587

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Kearney, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Kearney, NE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

60.6%

Homeownership

2024

60.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 60.6% of the housing units in Kearney, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Kearney, NE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$69,724

Median Household Income

± $4,868

14k

Number of Households

± 871

In 2024, the median household income of the 14k households in Kearney, NE declined from $69,724 from the previous year's value of $69,790.

The following chart displays the households in Kearney, NE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Kearney, NE is from Nebraska.

0.447

2024 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.447

2023 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2024, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.447 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.182% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nebraska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.8%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (4.54%)

In 2024, 80.8% of workers in Kearney, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (4.54%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

13.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kearney, NE have a shorter commute time (13.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.3% of the workforce in Kearney, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Kearney, NE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Kearney, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Kearney, NE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kearney, NE (4.02k out of 32.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Kearney, NE is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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