Lincoln, Nebraska Population 2023

295,222

Lincoln is a city located in Lancaster County Nebraska. It is also the county seat of Lancaster County. With a 2023 population of 295,222, it is the 2nd largest city in Nebraska and the 70th largest city in the United States.Lincoln is currently growing at a rate of 0.44% annually and its population has increased by 1.32% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 291,383 in 2020. Spanning over 98 miles, Lincoln has a population density of 3,068 people per square mile.

The average household income in Lincoln is $76,763 with a poverty rate of 15.05%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Lincoln is 32.9 years, 32 years for males, and 33.9 years for females.

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.

Refugees in Lincoln

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.

Lincoln Population Growth

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.

Lincoln Facts

  • Lincoln was named the healthiest city in the U.S. in 2008 and 2013 by the CDC.
  • Lincoln was renamed for recently assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.
  • Nebraska was once known as the Great American Desert.
  • The 911 emergency system, now used across the country, was first developed and used in Lincoln.
  • The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has the largest weight room in the United States that covers 3/4 of an acre.
  • Elephant Hall, a Lincoln museum, has the world's most extensive collection of elephant skeletons.
  • In 2014, the American Lung Association ranked the Lincoln-Beatrice area as being among the Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution.
  • Arbor Day got its start in Nebraska in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton proposed a holiday to promote planting trees in the state. About 1 million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day, and 45 other states had adopted the holiday by 1920.

Lincoln Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Lincoln was:

  • White: 83.98%
  • Two or more races: 4.85%
  • Asian: 4.64%
  • Black or African American: 4.27%
  • Other race: 1.5%
  • Native American: 0.69%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.07%
The current population of Lincoln, Nebraska is 295,222 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 291,383.

Lincoln, Nebraska Population 2023

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Lincoln Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

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White

Two or more races

Asian

Black or African American

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Lincoln Population by Race

Lincoln Population Pyramid 2023

Lincoln Median Age

32.9

Total

32

Male

33.9

Female

Lincoln Adults

There are 222,549 adults, (38,507 of whom are seniors) in Lincoln.

Lincoln Age Dependency

55.6

Age Dependency Ratio

20.9

Old Age Dependency Ratio

34.7

Child Dependency Ratio

Lincoln Sex Ratio

Female142,65749.81%
Male143,73150.19%

Lincoln Population by Age

Lincoln Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3

Average Family Size

2.36

Average Household Size

56.2%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Lincoln Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Lincoln Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Lincoln Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 74.22%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 33.92%.

Lincoln Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$41,096

Average Earnings

$46,919

Average Male

$35,420

Average Female

Lincoln Earnings by Educational Attainment

Lincoln Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Lincoln Language

87.24% of Lincoln residents speak only English, while 12.76% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.58% of the population.

Lincoln Language

Lincoln Poverty by Race

rate

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15.05%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.17%

Male Poverty Rate

13.5%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Lincoln

The race most likely to be in poverty in Lincoln is Islander, with 78.48% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Lincoln is White, with 11.94% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.29%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.68%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 19.68%.

Lincoln Poverty

rate

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Lincoln Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Lincoln Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Lincoln Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Lincoln Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

45.9%

Overall Marriage Rate

46.3%

Male Marriage Rate

45.6%

Female Marriage Rate

Lincoln Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Lincoln Marriage

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.

Lincoln Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Lincoln Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

12,880

Number of Veterans

12,009

Male Veterans

871

Female Veterans

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Lincoln Veterans by War

count

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Lincoln Veterans by Age

count

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Lincoln Veterans by Race

Lincoln Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.44%

Veteran Poverty Rate

27.81%

Veteran Disability Rate

Lincoln Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

71.1%

Labor Force Participation

68.4%

Employment Rate

3.5%

Unemployment Rate

Lincoln Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Lincoln Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Lincoln Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

64.72%

Born in Lincoln

89.45%

Native Born

8.83%

Foreign Born

4.51%

Non Citizen

4.32%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

89.45% of Lincoln residents were born in the United States, with 64.72% having been born in Nebraska. 4.51% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Lincoln Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change
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Lincoln Population by Year