68826 ZIP Code — Central City, NE

Merrick County, Nebraska

ZIP code 68826 is located in Central City, Nebraska, within Merrick County. It covers approximately 144.26 square miles and serves a population of 3,945 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 308.

About ZIP code 68826

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 $168,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

Median household income is $62,137. 38% 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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

3,945

population

144.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

68826 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 68826

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 68826. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Central City	Acceptable
Central City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

68846 Hordville (6.8 mi) 68628 Clarks (7.8 mi) 68854 Marquette (9.3 mi) 68827 Chapman (12.5 mi) 68864 Palmer (12.7 mi) 68654 Polk (13.1 mi) 68638 Fullerton (17.5 mi) 68843 Hampton (17.6 mi) 68319 Bradshaw (17.6 mi) 68872 Saint Libory (17.8 mi) 68865 Phillips (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,945
Population density	27 / sq mi
State FIPS	31
County FIPS	121

Geography
Land area	144.26 sq mi
Water area	2.22 sq mi
Latitude	41.1518
Longitude	-97.9921
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	43.9%	44.5%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	33.8%	36.3%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	20.3%	17.8%	22.0%
Over $200k	2.0%	1.5%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

3,945

Population

People per sq mi

39.3

Median age

$62,137

Median household income

$30,083

Per capita income

$168,700

Median home value

$685

Median monthly rent

69.4%

Home ownership

11.1%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

1,170

Housing units

21.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

122

Under 5

132

122

5–9

133

135

10–14

146

104

15–19

113

20–24

107

274

25–34

297

189

35–44

206

218

45–54

236

140

55–59

153

102

60–64

110

225

65–74

244

107

75–84

117

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	932	23.6%
18 and over	3,013	76.4%
65 and over	808	20.5%
Median age	39.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.6%

Hispanic or Latino 4.7%

Two or more races 3.7%

Other race 2.6%

Asian 2.3%

Black or African American 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,587	86.6%
Hispanic or Latino	195	4.7%
Two or more races	153	3.7%
Other race	106	2.6%
Asian	94	2.3%
Black or African American	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.9%	44.5%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	33.8%	36.3%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	20.3%	17.8%	22.0%
Over $200k	2.0%	1.5%	5.2%

Under $10k 8.0%

$10k–$15k 1.9%

$15k–$25k 10.9%

$25k–$35k 6.3%

$35k–$50k 14.4%

$50k–$75k 17.3%

$75k–$100k 15.2%

$100k–$150k 15.1%

$150k–$200k 10.1%

$200k+ 0.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.0%
$10k–$15k	1.9%
$15k–$25k	10.9%
$25k–$35k	6.3%
$35k–$50k	14.4%
$50k–$75k	17.3%
$75k–$100k	15.2%
$100k–$150k	15.1%
$150k–$200k	10.1%
$200k+	0.8%
Median income	$62,137

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.6%

$50k–$100k 16.0%

$100k–$150k 16.7%

$150k–$200k 20.8%

$200k–$300k 18.7%

$300k–$500k 14.4%

$500k–$1M 4.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$168,700
Median rent / month	$685
Owner occupied	69.4%
Renter occupied	30.6%
Vacant	5.9%
Single-family detached	77.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	1.4%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.62

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.9%
2000–2009	14.3%
1990–1999	13.1%
1980–1989	2.7%
1970–1979	14.4%
1960–1969	8.8%
1950–1959	3.9%
1940–1949	1.8%
1939 or earlier	34.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.7%
1 bedroom	2.5%
2 bedrooms	24.5%
3 bedrooms	46.2%
4 bedrooms	15.7%
5+ bedrooms	5.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.1%
1 vehicle	27.3%
2 vehicles	32.3%
3 or more	36.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	43.2%
Electricity	48.5%
Propane / LP gas	7.2%
Fuel oil	0.3%
Wood	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	818	52.9%
Cohabiting couple	102	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	233	15.1%
Female householder, no spouse	394	25.5%
Households with children under 18	471	30.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	506	32.7%
Average household size	2.46

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.9%	21.9%
Married	57.6%	51.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.5%
Widowed	0.9%	14.3%
Divorced	13.6%	11.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.6%

Some HS, no diploma 2.5%

HS graduate 33.1%

Some college, no degree 30.2%

Associate's degree 10.4%

Bachelor's degree 13.2%

Graduate / professional 8.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.0%
Bachelor's or higher	21.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	94	10.5%
Kindergarten	23	2.6%
Elementary school	443	49.4%
High school	181	20.2%
College / grad school	155	17.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.3%

Retail trade 12.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.3%

Agriculture & mining 9.1%

Manufacturing 8.8%

Finance & real estate 8.6%

Public administration 5.8%

Wholesale trade 4.4%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Construction 3.8%

Professional & management 2.5%

Other services 2.4%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.5%
Service	16.4%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	11.1%
Production & transportation	15.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.5%
Government	15.9%
Self-employed	11.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.3%
Carpool	6.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	5.5%
Work from home	3.4%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.4

Poverty

All people 11.1%

Under 18 years 16.0%

18 and over 9.5%

Married-couple families 1.6%

Female-led households 36.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.3%
Retirement income	21.1%
Supplemental Security	1.4%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.7%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	33.5%
Diabetes	11.1%
Heart disease	7.6%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	8.4%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.9%
Binge drinking	19.9%
No physical activity	23.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.4%
Depression	17.5%
Fair or poor health	12.9%
Poor mental health	11.7%
Poor physical health	9.9%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.9%
Visited dentist	67.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.3%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	183	6.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.5%
Under 18	6.7%
18–64 years	19.2%
65 and over	36.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.6%
Public insurance	34.6%
No insurance	10.0%
Uninsured under 19	7.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,691	93.6%
Spanish	56	1.5%
Other Indo-European	48	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	8	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,745	94.9%
Born in same state	3,727	94.5%
Born in different state	3,066	77.7%
Foreign born	18	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	200	5.1%
Not a US citizen	98	49.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	472	12%
Arab	331	8.4%
French	216	5.5%
Dutch	80	2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	48	1.2%
Polish	10	0.3%
Irish	7	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.2%
Internet access	89.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 68826

What city is ZIP code 68826 in?

ZIP code 68826 is primarily assigned to Central City, Nebraska.

What county is ZIP code 68826 in?

ZIP code 68826 falls within Merrick County, Nebraska.

Does ZIP code 68826 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 68826 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 68826?

The median home value in ZIP code 68826 is $168,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 68826?

ZIP code 68826 has an estimated population of 3,945 residents, with a density of 27 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 68826?

The median household income in ZIP code 68826 is $62,137, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 68826 in?

ZIP code 68826 observes the CST timezone.