68443 ZIP Code — Sterling, NE

Johnson County, Nebraska

ZIP code 68443 is located in Sterling, Nebraska, within Johnson County. It covers approximately 95.93 square miles and serves a population of 1,086 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 402.

About ZIP code 68443

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 $151,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $68,359. 44% 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 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 68443 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,086
population
95.93
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
68443 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 68443

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 68443. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Sterling Acceptable
Sterling Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
68344 Douglas (7.4 mi) 68450 Tecumseh (9.2 mi) 68332 Crab Orchard (10.4 mi) 68301 Adams (10.5 mi) 68329 Cook (10.9 mi) 68358 Firth (14.5 mi) 68357 Filley (15.2 mi) 68348 Elk Creek (15.2 mi) 68446 Syracuse (15.9 mi) 68418 Palmyra (16.2 mi) 68454 Unadilla (16.3 mi) 68317 Bennet (16.4 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,086
Population density 11 / sq mi
State FIPS 31
County FIPS 097
Geography
Land area 95.93 sq mi
Water area 0.21 sq mi
Latitude 40.4649
Longitude -96.3500
Timezone Central (CT)
Area code 402
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 37.6% 50.5% 39.5%
$50k – $100k 38.1% 30.5% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 22.3% 16.2% 22.0%
Over $200k 2.0% 2.8% 5.2%

Demographics & statistics

1,086
Population
11
People per sq mi
40.7
Median age
$68,359
Median household income
$30,610
Per capita income
$151,500
Median home value
$810
Median monthly rent
80.3%
Home ownership
7.8%
Poverty rate
3.3%
Unemployment
384
Housing units
29.9%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
54
Under 5
50
56
5–9
52
24
10–14
22
31
15–19
28
21
20–24
19
58
25–34
54
59
35–44
54
66
45–54
60
33
55–59
31
46
60–64
43
63
65–74
57
39
75–84
35
16
85+
15
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1828226.0%
18 and over80474.0%
65 and over22520.7%
Median age40.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95%
Two or more races 2.4%
Black or African American 1.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%
Other race 0.5%
GroupCount%
White1,03695%
Two or more races262.4%
Black or African American191.7%
Hispanic or Latino50.5%
Other race50.5%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 37.6% 50.5% 39.5%
$50k – $100k 38.1% 30.5% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 22.3% 16.2% 22.0%
Over $200k 2.0% 2.8% 5.2%
Under $10k 6.0%
$10k–$15k 4.0%
$15k–$25k 7.0%
$25k–$35k 2.7%
$35k–$50k 13.5%
$50k–$75k 20.0%
$75k–$100k 19.7%
$100k–$150k 21.2%
$150k–$200k 4.0%
$200k+ 2.0%
Range% of households
Under $10k6.0%
$10k–$15k4.0%
$15k–$25k7.0%
$25k–$35k2.7%
$35k–$50k13.5%
$50k–$75k20.0%
$75k–$100k19.7%
$100k–$150k21.2%
$150k–$200k4.0%
$200k+2.0%
Median income$68,359

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.5%
$50k–$100k 20.2%
$100k–$150k 22.7%
$150k–$200k 18.9%
$200k–$300k 13.4%
$300k–$500k 15.2%
$500k–$1M 2.5%
$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$151,500
Median rent / month$810
Owner occupied80.3%
Renter occupied19.7%
Vacant13.4%
Single-family detached92.0%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes3.7%
Median rooms7.0
Avg household size (owned)2.73

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20194.3%
2000–20096.3%
1990–19998.0%
1980–19896.0%
1970–197914.5%
1960–19696.9%
1950–19595.8%
1940–19493.2%
1939 or earlier44.9%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom3.0%
2 bedrooms30.5%
3 bedrooms28.7%
4 bedrooms28.1%
5+ bedrooms9.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle3.0%
1 vehicle14.7%
2 vehicles35.2%
3 or more47.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas39.9%
Electricity34.9%
Propane / LP gas18.5%
Wood4.5%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family25162.6%
Cohabiting couple20.5%
Male householder, no spouse5714.2%
Female householder, no spouse9122.7%
Households with children under 1810125.2%
Households with seniors (65+)15037.4%
Average household size2.71

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married30.8%14.0%
Married57.2%59.8%
Separated1.8%2.3%
Widowed5.3%16.8%
Divorced4.8%7.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%
Some HS, no diploma 1.1%
HS graduate 35.8%
Some college, no degree 18.0%
Associate's degree 12.3%
Bachelor's degree 19.8%
Graduate / professional 10.2%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher96.0%
Bachelor's or higher29.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool6322.4%
Kindergarten3111.0%
Elementary school10336.7%
High school3211.4%
College / grad school5218.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.3%
Construction 15.6%
Retail trade 14.2%
Transportation & utilities 8.9%
Finance & real estate 7.5%
Manufacturing 7.1%
Public administration 5.9%
Other services 5.7%
Agriculture & mining 4.9%
Arts, food & hospitality 3.7%
Professional & management 1.8%
Wholesale trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts42.6%
Service8.3%
Sales & office14.2%
Natural resources & construction19.1%
Production & transportation15.8%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector59.4%
Government26.6%
Self-employed14.0%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone70.6%
Carpool15.7%
Public transit0.0%
Walk4.2%
Work from home9.5%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)27.1

Poverty

All people 7.8%
Under 18 years 7.8%
18 and over 7.8%
Married-couple families 4.0%
Female-led households 29.2%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security44.1%
Retirement income27.2%
Supplemental Security3.2%
Cash public assistance5.2%
Food stamps / SNAP6.5%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity32.6%
High blood pressure33.8%
High cholesterol34.9%
Diabetes9.4%
Heart disease6.6%
Stroke3.0%
Asthma8.1%
Arthritis27.2%
Kidney disease2.8%
Pulmonary disease6.1%
Cancer7.9%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.9%
Binge drinking21.1%
No physical activity24.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep28.6%
Depression16.0%
Fair or poor health11.3%
Poor mental health10.8%
Poor physical health9.1%
No health insurance12.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)72.2%
Visited dentist62.9%
Cholesterol screening89.9%
Teeth loss11.4%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans506.2%
Disability%
Any disability15.3%
Under 180.7%
18–64 years13.0%
65 and over39.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance78.9%
Public insurance33.6%
No insurance6.4%
Uninsured under 190.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only98290.4%
Spanish00.0%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,086100.0%
Born in same state1,086100.0%
Born in different state99491.5%
Foreign born00.0%
Naturalized citizen00.0%
Not a US citizen00.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French11010.1%
English423.9%
Italian403.7%
AncestryCount%
Arab151.4%
Polish30.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access36.9%
Internet access92.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 68443

What city is ZIP code 68443 in?

ZIP code 68443 is primarily assigned to Sterling, Nebraska.

What county is ZIP code 68443 in?

ZIP code 68443 falls within Johnson County, Nebraska.

Does ZIP code 68443 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 68443 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 68443 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 68443 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 68443?

The median home value in ZIP code 68443 is $151,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 68443?

ZIP code 68443 has an estimated population of 1,086 residents, with a density of 11 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 68443 in?

ZIP code 68443 observes the CST timezone.

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