Fairview · National Register of Historic Places
Lincoln’s story
170 years in pictures
24 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 104 places on the National Register.
- 1856Lincoln is settled
LincolnNE
A city of 294,856, settled in 1856. Home to 104 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Hanyou23 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
294,856
+12.7% since 2010
Typical home
$294K
+3% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
33.4
years
Jobs based here
158,564
Balanced
What makes Lincoln stand out
The 3 things Lincoln does most differently from other towns.
FairviewHistory
Settled in 1856
104 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 170 years.
5colleges
College town
5 colleges
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Students are part of everyday life here.
$294Ktypical home
Housing
$294K typical home
5% above the NE typical home
Up 3% in a year.
College town
12% of Lincoln is in college
5 colleges in town.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln22,418 students on campus
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $17,747
- Graduate
- 67%
- Admission
- Open
- Net price
- $9,171
- Graduate
- 38%
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $18,327
- Graduate
- 66%
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Lincoln’s report card
Housing$294K5% above the NE typical homeOutdoors41 miof trails · 6.6% conservedCommute5 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthA−Healthier than 82% of U.S. townsSchoolsB−Beats 46% of NE districtsSafetyC−Less crime than 18% of U.S. townsClimate88°/15°Summer high · winter low · 26″ snowHazards50/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Lincoln
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Lincoln is #36 of 37 in NE for “Safest”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Lincoln’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →52°
Clear
H 64° · L 47°
Local news
All →- Flooding closes parks and trails across LincolnKOLN | Nebraska Local News, Weather, Sports | Lincoln, NE · Oct 1
- Lincoln Diverts Wastewater Into Salt Creek After Heavy Rainklin.com · Oct 1
- Historic downpour triggers flooding, rescues across LincolnKOLN | Nebraska Local News, Weather, Sports | Lincoln, NE · Oct 1
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lincoln. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Lincoln home is worth about $294K
The typical Lincoln home is worth about $294,000, up 3% in a year, close to the Nebraska typical home.
$294KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lincoln$294K
Nebraska$281K
Market temperature
19
days on market
101.5%
sale-to-list price
+3%
value change, 1 year
355
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
6.6% of Lincoln is conserved land
41 miles of trails across 134 parks and preserves.
6.6%conserved
6.6%
conserved · 4,393 of 66,099 acres
41 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
#11
most conserved land in NE
#24
most walkable in NE
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Holmes Lake Park | 5.4 mi | 580 |
| 2. Antelope Park South | 1.3 mi | 107 |
| 3. Lincoln Regional Center Arboretum | 0.9 mi | 90 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Lincoln
79% of Lincoln’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Omaha (7%), Waverly (1%) and Grand Island (0%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
79%work in town
Where working residents work
In Lincoln79%
Omaha7%
Waverly1%
5 mi
median commute distance
158,564
jobs based in Lincoln
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Lincoln beats the Nebraska average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
A−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Nebraska
9 better19 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Lincoln | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.1% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 21% | 24.3% |
| More adults with depression | 20.9% | 18.3% |
Bryan Medical Center
1.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
89th
percentile among NE towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Lincoln’s public schools outperform 46% of Nebraska districts
The public schools Lincoln’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 54% of Nebraska’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kooser Elementary School | PK–5 | 929 | B |
| Roper Elementary School | PK–5 | 850 | C+ |
| Belmont Elementary School | PK–5 | 773 | C |
| Adams Elementary School | PK–5 | 767 | A+ |
| Wysong Elementary | PK–5 | 738 | A |
| Maxey Elementary School | PK–5 | 674 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduationAll 103 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 18% of U.S. towns
Lincoln reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 49%.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lincoln4.2
Nebraska2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lincoln18.9
Nebraska14
U.S.15.5
18th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3rd
percentile among NE towns
1,277
violent crimes reported in 2025
5,731
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Lincoln has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–38°
Spring40–63°
Summer64–86°
Fall41–65°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingStrong wind
130
paid flood claims since 1981
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A growing town
Lincoln has grown 12.7% since 2010
258,379 people in 2010; 294,856 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Landmarks
104 places in Lincoln on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Lincoln
44 notable people were born in Lincoln.
About Lincoln
Capital of Nebraska, United States
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers 103.9 square miles (269.1 km2) and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census (301,522 estimated in 2025). It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 72nd-most populous in the United States. The county seat of Lancaster County, Lincoln is the economic and cultural anchor of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area, home to approximately 345,000 people. Lincoln was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster on the wild salt marshes and arroyos of what became Lancaster County. Renamed after President Abraham Lincoln, it became Nebraska's state capital in 1869. The Bertram G. Goodhue–designed state c…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1856
- Population
- 291,082
- Area
- 99 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,175 ft
- ZIP code
- 68501, 68502, 68503
- Area code
- 402, 531
Lincoln’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Lincoln.
More about Lincoln
Still missing for Lincoln:upcoming events