Kearney, NE: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Kearney ( KAR-nee) is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 33,790 in the 2020 census, making it the 5th most populous city in Nebraska. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birth to the community.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Kearney ranks

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#13Fastest growing in NE #14Most educated in NE #17Shortest commute in NE All NE rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code68845, 68847, 68848

Area code308

Living in Kearney

Housing in Kearney

$318K▲ 6.2% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Kearney home is worth about $318,000, up 6.2% in a year, 13% above the Nebraska typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market25

Sale-to-list100.2%

Sold in May31

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Kearney

C

Safety Grade C

Kearney reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 66% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Kearney 2.3

Nebraska 2.2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Kearney 12.1

Nebraska 14

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Kearney

All Kearney schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Kearney’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 67% of Nebraska’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

#18Best public schoolsof 57 in NE

DistrictKEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLSSchools18

Meadowlark Elementary School AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 417 students Kenwood Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 398 students Northeast Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 397 students Central Elementary School BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 284 students Buffalo Hills Elementary AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 272 students Windy Hills Elementary School AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 259 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NE. Ratings are from neighbors.