Merna, NE

Census Place

2024 Population

383

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.3

18% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.7%

132% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$61,875

15.8% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Merna, NE is home to a population of 383 people, from which 100% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.261% of Merna, NE residents were born outside of the country (1 people).

In 2024, there were 11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (330 people) in Merna, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 30 Other (Non-Hispanic) and 7 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

100%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Merna, NE residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Merna, NE was 100%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been maintaining.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Merna, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
330 ± 72
Other (Non-Hispanic)
30 ± 35
White (Hispanic)
7 ± 14

3.13%

Hispanic Population

12 people

3.13% of the people in Merna, NE are hispanic (12 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Merna, 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

0.261%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1 people

0.526%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2 people

As of 2024, 0.261% of Merna, NE residents (1 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 Merna, NE was 0.526%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
8 ± 16
Gulf War (2001-)
2 ± 14

Merna, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Merna, NE employs 181 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Merna, NE were Manufacturing (28 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (23 people), and Educational Services (22 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($123,125), Transportation & Warehousing ($72,813), and Manufacturing ($63,750).

Employment

Occupations

181

2024 Value

± 63

−7.65%

1 Year decline

± 51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Merna, NE declined at a rate of −7.65%, from 196 employees to 181 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merna, NE, are Transportation Occupations (27 people), Sales & Related Occupations (24 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (18 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merna, 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

181

2024 Value

± 63

−7.65%

1 Year decline

± 51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Merna, NE declined at a rate of −7.65%, from 196 employees to 181 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merna, NE, are Manufacturing (28 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (23 people), and Educational Services (22 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merna, NE, though some of these residents may live in Merna, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,000

Median earning men ± $9,551

$28,125

Median earning women ± $14,253

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($70,313), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($63,125), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,583).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,750), Manufacturing ($53,125), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($21,250).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Merna, NE was $100,000 in 2024, which is 0.301 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $107,500 to $100,000, a 6.98% decrease. The homeownership rate in Merna, NE is 73.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Merna, NE have an average commute time of 13 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merna, NE is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$100,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,638

$114

Median Property Taxes

±$29

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 Merna, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

73.1%

Homeownership

2024

63.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.1% of the housing units in Merna, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 79.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merna, 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.

$61,875

Median Household Income

± $26,196

156

Number of Households

± 37

In 2024, the median household income of the 156 households in Merna, NE declined from $61,875 from the previous year's value of $73,500.

The following chart displays the households in Merna, 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 Merna, 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 (74%)
Carpooled (7.91%)
Bicycle (5.65%)

In 2024, 74% of workers in Merna, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.91%) and those who used a bicycle to get to work (5.65%).

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 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merna, NE have a shorter commute time (13 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.588% of the workforce in Merna, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Merna, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Merna, NE have 3 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merna, NE (74 out of 376 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 16 - 17 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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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