68817 ZIP Code — Ashton, NE

Sherman County, Nebraska

ZIP code 68817 is located in Ashton, Nebraska, within Sherman County. It covers approximately 81.01 square miles and serves a population of 387 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 308.

About ZIP code 68817

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $90,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $79,444. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 7% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 68817 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

387

population

81.01

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

68817 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 68817

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 68817. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ashton	Acceptable
Ashton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

68838 Farwell (8.9 mi) 68835 Elba (9.7 mi) 68853 Loup City (11.8 mi) 68871 Rockville (12.4 mi) 68820 Boelus (13.6 mi) 68859 North Loup (13.6 mi) 68852 Litchfield (16.2 mi) 68831 Dannebrog (17.7 mi) 68815 Arcadia (18.1 mi) 68873 Saint Paul (18.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	387
Population density	5 / sq mi
State FIPS	31
County FIPS	163

Geography
Land area	81.01 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	41.2932
Longitude	-98.8055
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	308

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.5%	48.9%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	56.5%	36.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	3.0%	14.0%	22.0%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.9%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

387

Population

People per sq mi

49.9

Median age

$79,444

Median household income

$37,047

Per capita income

$90,600

Median home value

$785

Median monthly rent

80.2%

Home ownership

10.6%

Poverty rate

8.5%

Unemployment

214

Housing units

6.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	60	15.5%
18 and over	327	84.5%
65 and over	120	31.0%
Median age	49.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.4%

Two or more races 2.3%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	377	95.4%
Two or more races	9	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	8	2%
Other race	1	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.5%	48.9%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	56.5%	36.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	3.0%	14.0%	22.0%
Over $200k	0.0%	0.9%	5.2%

Under $10k 1.6%

$10k–$15k 2.1%

$15k–$25k 1.6%

$25k–$35k 18.8%

$35k–$50k 8.3%

$50k–$75k 9.9%

$75k–$100k 32.8%

$100k–$150k 22.4%

$150k–$200k 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.6%
$10k–$15k	2.1%
$15k–$25k	1.6%
$25k–$35k	18.8%
$35k–$50k	8.3%
$50k–$75k	9.9%
$75k–$100k	32.8%
$100k–$150k	22.4%
$150k–$200k	2.6%
Median income	$79,444

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.7%

$50k–$100k 50.0%

$100k–$150k 4.5%

$150k–$200k 16.9%

$200k–$300k 3.9%

$300k–$500k 11.0%

$500k–$1M 3.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$90,600
Median rent / month	$785
Owner occupied	80.2%
Renter occupied	19.8%
Vacant	23.8%
Single-family detached	99.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.4%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	1.98

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	9.5%
2000–2009	3.6%
1990–1999	0.4%
1980–1989	3.6%
1970–1979	8.7%
1960–1969	8.3%
1950–1959	8.7%
1940–1949	8.3%
1939 or earlier	48.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.2%
2 bedrooms	27.8%
3 bedrooms	47.6%
4 bedrooms	22.6%
5+ bedrooms	0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.1%
1 vehicle	8.3%
2 vehicles	31.8%
3 or more	56.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	20.3%
Propane / LP gas	61.5%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	4.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	108	56.3%
Cohabiting couple	0	0.0%
Male householder, no spouse	52	27.1%
Female householder, no spouse	32	16.7%
Households with children under 18	17	8.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	78	40.6%
Average household size	2.02

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.5%	7.4%
Married	57.3%	75.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	1.1%	8.6%
Divorced	14.0%	8.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 8.1%

HS graduate 35.2%

Some college, no degree 36.8%

Associate's degree 11.9%

Bachelor's degree 5.2%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.6%
Bachelor's or higher	6.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	5	7.9%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	23	36.5%
High school	31	49.2%
College / grad school	4	6.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.5%

Agriculture & mining 24.1%

Professional & management 12.0%

Transportation & utilities 9.7%

Retail trade 8.8%

Manufacturing 6.9%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Construction 3.2%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Other services 1.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.9%

Public administration 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.9%
Service	10.6%
Sales & office	21.3%
Natural resources & construction	5.6%
Production & transportation	17.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	66.7%
Government	12.0%
Self-employed	21.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	94.9%
Carpool	2.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	2.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.3

Poverty

All people 10.6%

Under 18 years 40.0%

18 and over 5.2%

Married-couple families 5.6%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.1%
Retirement income	20.8%
Supplemental Security	2.1%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.5%
High blood pressure	37.6%
High cholesterol	34.8%
Diabetes	11.9%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	29.3%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.4%
Cancer	8.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.6%
Binge drinking	19.4%
No physical activity	24.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.5%
Depression	16.8%
Fair or poor health	13.3%
Poor mental health	11.2%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	12.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.9%
Visited dentist	64.9%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	13	4.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.6%
Under 18	15.0%
18–64 years	2.4%
65 and over	19.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.5%
Public insurance	50.1%
No insurance	4.1%
Uninsured under 19	3.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	380	98.2%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	387	100.0%
Born in same state	387	100.0%
Born in different state	349	90.2%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	26	6.7%
Italian	6	1.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	5	1.3%
Arab	2	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.6%
Internet access	85.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 68817

What city is ZIP code 68817 in?

ZIP code 68817 is primarily assigned to Ashton, Nebraska.

What county is ZIP code 68817 in?

ZIP code 68817 falls within Sherman County, Nebraska.

Does ZIP code 68817 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 68817 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 68817?

7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 68817 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 68817 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 68817 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 68817 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 68817 in?

ZIP code 68817 observes the CST timezone.