State
County
Land Area
96.2 sq mi
Density
3,049.7/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.75%
Growth Since 2010
13.57%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
341,522
Lincoln is a city located in Nebraska. With a 2020 population of 293,446, it is the 2nd largest city in Nebraska (after Omaha) and the 69th largest city in the United States. Lincoln is currently growing at a rate of 0.75% annually and its population has increased by 13.57% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 258,379 in 2010. Lincoln reached it's highest population of 293,446 in 2021. Spanning over 98 miles, Lincoln has a population density of 3,050 people per square mile.
The average household income in Lincoln is $76,763 with a poverty rate of 13.55%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $852 per month, and the median house value is $169,800. The median age in Lincoln is 32.7 years, 31.8 years for males, and 33.6 years for females. For every 100 females there are 100.9 males.
Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city in Nebraska behind Omaha. Lincoln was founded as Lancaster in 1856 amid the salt flats and marshes. Lincoln is located in southeastern Nebraska, south of the Platte River.
The larger urban area has a population of 285,000, which makes it the 145th largest in the country. The Lincoln metropolitan area includes all of Lancaster County and Seward County. There is very little development outside of the city limits and Lincoln has no contiguous suburbs, with the largest town considered a suburb being Waverly, with a population of 3,300.
Lincoln was designated as a refugee-friendly city by the government in the 1970s because of its size, educational institutions, and stable economy. Many refugees have settled in the city, and it was recently named as one of the Top 10 Most Welcoming Cities in America by Welcoming America. The refugee population began increasing in the 1980s in the area, and by the turn of the century, Lincoln had settled nearly 5,500 refugees. Lancaster County is now the 18th largest resettlement area in the country for Asian immigrants and refugees. Nebraska also ranks fifth in refugee resettlement per capita compared to other states of similar population.
Refugees from over 40 countries have settled in the city, which has brought new cultures and religions into the area. Lincoln is now home for Bosnian, Vietnamese, Afghani, Mexican, Russian, Kurdish, Sudanese, Ukrainian, Tajikistan, Chinese and other refugee populations.
In 2011 alone, 738 refugees from 13 countries made their way to Nebraska, but this official figure only includes people who were officially resettled in the state, not those who have moved to the area after being placed somewhere else.
The fastest-growing group of refugees in Lincoln is the Karen, who come from Thailand or Burma to escape an ethnic and political war. Close to 1,000 people from Thailand and Burma have arrived in the state since 2000, and there are estimated to be thousands of Karen in the state, with up to 1,500 in Lincoln. You can learn more about refugees in Nebraska here.
In 2011, census estimates showed that Nebraska's population grew at a faster rate than the U.S. average for the past two years. Nebraska has been increasing at a rate of around 1% since 2008, while the U.S. population posted its smallest growth since 1945 of just 0.84%. Nebraska and Lincoln, in particular, are growing as more people move to the area for jobs, as the state has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
Most of Nebraska is seeing a declining population, as most growth is concentrated around Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, and Kearney.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Lincoln was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 341,522 | 2,574 | 0.75% |
2020 | 338,948 | 2,574 | 0.76% |
2019 | 336,374 | 2,574 | 0.77% |
2018 | 333,800 | 2,825 | 0.85% |
2017 | 330,975 | 3,566 | 1.08% |
2016 | 327,409 | 4,319 | 1.32% |
2015 | 323,090 | 3,456 | 1.07% |
2014 | 319,634 | 5,531 | 1.73% |
2013 | 314,103 | 3,775 | 1.20% |
2012 | 310,328 | 3,709 | 1.20% |
2011 | 306,619 | 3,658 | 1.19% |
2010 | 302,961 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 240,936 | 84.88% |
Asian | 13,021 | 4.59% |
Black or African American | 12,380 | 4.36% |
Two or More Races | 10,978 | 3.87% |
Some Other Race | 4,215 | 1.48% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 2,083 | 0.73% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 226 | 0.08% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 113,551 | 2.38 | 57 |
Married | 49,698 | 3.13 | 80.3 |
Non Family | 48,385 | 1.38 | 38.1 |
Female | 10,512 | 3.2 | 39.3 |
Male | 4,956 | 3.01 | 44.6 |
3.04
Average Family Size
2.38
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 5,094 | 2.92% |
9th to 12th Grade | 6,537 | 3.74% |
High School Graduate | 37,280 | 21.35% |
Some College | 37,018 | 21.20% |
Associates Degree | 19,472 | 11.15% |
Bachelors Degree | 43,250 | 24.77% |
Graduate Degree | 25,964 | 14.87% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 146,274 | 140,767 | 60,985 |
Hispanic | 10,072 | 7,056 | 1,947 |
Asian | 7,792 | 6,171 | 3,636 |
Black | 6,698 | 5,765 | 1,593 |
Multiple Races | 3,215 | 2,791 | 967 |
Other Race | 2,216 | 1,476 | 360 |
Native American | 1,086 | 857 | 177 |
Islander | 162 | 129 | 26 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.24%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 46.66%.
$39,990
Average Earnings
$45,088
Average Male
$34,269
Average Female
87.75% of Lincoln residents speak only English, while 12.25% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.50% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 216,474 | 24,247 | 11.20% |
Hispanic | 20,474 | 5,028 | 24.56% |
Black | 11,122 | 2,940 | 26.43% |
Multiple | 10,324 | 2,361 | 22.87% |
Asian | 12,330 | 2,090 | 16.95% |
Other | 3,889 | 1,372 | 35.28% |
Native | 1,834 | 396 | 21.59% |
Islander | 214 | 162 | 75.70% |
13.55%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.54%
Male Poverty Rate
14.54%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Lincoln is Islander, with 75.70% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Lincoln is White, with 11.20% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.91%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.11%.
45.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
46.0%
Male Marriage Rate
45.3%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 12,636 | 6.63% |
Black | 427 | 4.72% |
Hispanic | 339 | 2.55% |
2 or More | 171 | 3.60% |
Other | 135 | 4.53% |
Asian | 124 | 1.19% |
Indian | 30 | 2.15% |
6.53%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.44%
Veteran Disability Rate
71.6%
Labor Force Participation
69%
Employment Rate
3.4%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
91.49%
Native Born
8.51%
Foreign Born
4.58%
Non Citizen
3.92%
Naturalized
91.49% of Lincoln residents were born in the United States, with 65.53% having been born in Nebraska. 4.58% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 293,446 | 2,172 | 0.75% |
2020 | 291,274 | 2,172 | 0.75% |
2019 | 289,102 | 2,172 | 0.76% |
2018 | 286,930 | 2,403 | 0.84% |
2017 | 284,527 | 3,188 | 1.13% |
2016 | 281,339 | 3,994 | 1.44% |
2015 | 277,345 | 3,217 | 1.17% |
2014 | 274,128 | 4,999 | 1.86% |
2013 | 269,129 | 3,268 | 1.23% |
2012 | 265,861 | 3,171 | 1.21% |
2011 | 262,690 | 3,235 | 1.25% |
2010 | 259,455 | 33,874 | 1.41% |
2000 | 225,581 | 33,609 | 1.63% |
1990 | 191,972 | 20,040 | 1.11% |
1980 | 171,932 | 22,414 | 1.41% |
1970 | 149,518 | 20,997 | 1.52% |
1960 | 128,521 | 29,637 | 2.66% |
1950 | 98,884 | 16,900 | 1.89% |
1940 | 81,984 | 6,051 | 0.77% |
1930 | 75,933 | 20,985 | 3.29% |
1920 | 54,948 | 10,975 | 2.25% |
1910 | 43,973 | 3,804 | 0.91% |
1900 | 40,169 | -14,985 | -3.12% |
1890 | 55,154 | 42,151 | 15.55% |
1880 | 13,003 | 0.00% |