68979 ZIP Code — Sutton, NE

Clay County, Nebraska

ZIP code 68979 is located in Sutton, Nebraska, within Clay County. It covers approximately 135.50 square miles and serves a population of 1,606 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 402.

About ZIP code 68979

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 $148,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($69,875) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 68979 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,606
population
135.50
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
68979 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 68979

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 68979. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Sutton Acceptable
Sutton Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
68365 Grafton (8.2 mi) 68933 Clay Center (10.5 mi) 68361 Geneva (11 mi) 68944 Harvard (11.3 mi) 68436 Shickley (14.6 mi) 68354 Fairmont (14.7 mi) 68371 Henderson (14.8 mi) 68935 Edgar (16.5 mi) 68401 Mc Cool Junction (17.7 mi) 68938 Fairfield (18.4 mi) 68335 Davenport (19 mi) 68818 Aurora (20 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,606
Population density 12 / sq mi
State FIPS 31
County FIPS 035
Geography
Land area 135.50 sq mi
Water area 0.48 sq mi
Latitude 40.5755
Longitude -97.8527
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 35.1% 38.1% 39.5%
$50k – $100k 42.1% 39.1% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 17.9% 19.3% 22.0%
Over $200k 4.9% 3.5% 5.2%

Demographics & statistics

1,606
Population
12
People per sq mi
44.5
Median age
$69,875
Median household income
$49,513
Per capita income
$148,900
Median home value
$818
Median monthly rent
83.6%
Home ownership
7.1%
Poverty rate
1.1%
Unemployment
672
Housing units
27.3%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
43
Under 5
47
45
5–9
48
45
10–14
49
39
15–19
42
42
20–24
45
108
25–34
117
70
35–44
76
102
45–54
110
43
55–59
46
53
60–64
57
92
65–74
100
55
75–84
60
34
85+
38
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1831619.7%
18 and over1,29080.3%
65 and over37923.6%
Median age44.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Two or more races 1.4%
Other race 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Black or African American 0.3%
GroupCount%
White1,53793.4%
Hispanic or Latino402.4%
Two or more races231.4%
Other race221.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native191.2%
Black or African American50.3%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 35.1% 38.1% 39.5%
$50k – $100k 42.1% 39.1% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 17.9% 19.3% 22.0%
Over $200k 4.9% 3.5% 5.2%
Under $10k 5.0%
$10k–$15k 4.0%
$15k–$25k 4.9%
$25k–$35k 9.3%
$35k–$50k 7.6%
$50k–$75k 19.8%
$75k–$100k 12.1%
$100k–$150k 24.2%
$150k–$200k 7.9%
$200k+ 5.2%
Range% of households
Under $10k5.0%
$10k–$15k4.0%
$15k–$25k4.9%
$25k–$35k9.3%
$35k–$50k7.6%
$50k–$75k19.8%
$75k–$100k12.1%
$100k–$150k24.2%
$150k–$200k7.9%
$200k+5.2%
Median income$69,875

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.9%
$50k–$100k 16.1%
$100k–$150k 24.5%
$150k–$200k 17.3%
$200k–$300k 18.0%
$300k–$500k 12.2%
$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$148,900
Median rent / month$818
Owner occupied83.6%
Renter occupied16.4%
Vacant11.3%
Single-family detached84.7%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes0.9%
Median rooms6.9
Avg household size (owned)2.38

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20191.5%
2000–20096.4%
1990–19997.8%
1980–19898.0%
1970–197916.9%
1960–196913.9%
1950–19595.5%
1940–19493.7%
1939 or earlier36.4%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)3.3%
1 bedroom6.9%
2 bedrooms23.0%
3 bedrooms26.3%
4 bedrooms28.2%
5+ bedrooms12.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle2.6%
1 vehicle20.8%
2 vehicles42.8%
3 or more33.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas75.5%
Electricity15.2%
Propane / LP gas7.0%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family43161.8%
Cohabiting couple91.3%
Male householder, no spouse10615.2%
Female householder, no spouse15121.7%
Households with children under 1819227.5%
Households with seniors (65+)25136.0%
Average household size2.27

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married27.0%7.8%
Married62.0%67.2%
Separated0.0%0.8%
Widowed2.1%14.3%
Divorced9.0%9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%
Some HS, no diploma 3.5%
HS graduate 27.9%
Some college, no degree 23.3%
Associate's degree 15.8%
Bachelor's degree 18.0%
Graduate / professional 9.3%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher94.3%
Bachelor's or higher27.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool258.3%
Kindergarten217.0%
Elementary school13946.0%
High school5317.5%
College / grad school6421.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 34.4%
Agriculture & mining 11.8%
Retail trade 10.3%
Construction 8.8%
Manufacturing 8.1%
Wholesale trade 6.1%
Professional & management 4.0%
Transportation & utilities 3.9%
Finance & real estate 3.3%
Arts, food & hospitality 3.3%
Public administration 3.3%
Other services 2.5%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts40.8%
Service13.2%
Sales & office17.3%
Natural resources & construction14.3%
Production & transportation14.4%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector70.3%
Government17.9%
Self-employed11.2%
Unpaid family workers0.6%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone83.4%
Carpool7.3%
Public transit0.0%
Walk1.1%
Work from home7.1%
Other means1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)17.0

Poverty

All people 7.1%
Under 18 years 3.8%
18 and over 7.9%
Married-couple families 3.0%
Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security37.6%
Retirement income20.1%
Supplemental Security1.3%
Cash public assistance0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP3.7%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity35.9%
High blood pressure35.2%
High cholesterol35.3%
Diabetes11.0%
Heart disease7.9%
Stroke3.7%
Asthma8.4%
Arthritis28.1%
Kidney disease3.4%
Pulmonary disease7.3%
Cancer8.4%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.8%
Binge drinking19.6%
No physical activity24.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep27.3%
Depression16.5%
Fair or poor health13.7%
Poor mental health11.2%
Poor physical health10.2%
No health insurance15.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)71.2%
Visited dentist64.6%
Cholesterol screening88.9%
Teeth loss13.3%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans765.9%
Disability%
Any disability13.5%
Under 183.8%
18–64 years8.2%
65 and over36.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance81.3%
Public insurance31.1%
No insurance6.2%
Uninsured under 197.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,51694.4%
Spanish281.8%
Other Indo-European120.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander161.1%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,56597.4%
Born in same state1,56397.3%
Born in different state1,26078.5%
Foreign born20.1%
Naturalized citizen412.6%
Not a US citizen717.1%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Arab1308.1%
Italian1298%
French1046.5%
AncestryCount%
Dutch221.4%
English90.6%
Polish30.2%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access43.4%
Internet access93.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 68979

What city is ZIP code 68979 in?

ZIP code 68979 is primarily assigned to Sutton, Nebraska.

What county is ZIP code 68979 in?

ZIP code 68979 falls within Clay County, Nebraska.

Is ZIP code 68979 mostly owner-occupied?

84% of occupied units in ZIP code 68979 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 68979 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 68979 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 68979?

The median home value in ZIP code 68979 is $148,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 68979?

ZIP code 68979 has an estimated population of 1,606 residents, with a density of 12 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 68979 in?

ZIP code 68979 observes the CST timezone.

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