Kearney is a city located in Buffalo County Nebraska. Kearney has a 2024 population of 34,523. It is also the county seat of Buffalo County. Kearney is currently growing at a rate of 0.47% annually and its population has increased by 1.9% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 33,879 in 2020.
The average household income in Kearney is $85,354 with a poverty rate of 15.08%. The median age in Kearney is 31.9 years: 30.8 years for males, and 33.5 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Kearney was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 29,353 | 86.82% |
| Other race | 1,592 | 4.71% |
| Two or more races | 1,502 | 4.44% |
| Asian | 757 | 2.24% |
| Black or African American | 397 | 1.17% |
| Native American | 208 | 0.62% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
White
Other race
Two or more races
Asian
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 13,579 | 2.35 | 60.5 | 39.5 |
| Non Family | 5,873 | 1.49 | 39 | 61 |
| Married | 5,660 | 2.94 | 85.4 | 14.6 |
| Female | 1,526 | 3.13 | 54.7 | 45.3 |
| Male | 520 | 3.43 | 50.8 | 49.2 |
2.92
Average Family Size
2.35
Average Household Size
60.5%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,010 | 4.98% |
| Associates Degree | 1,679 | 8.28% |
| Bachelors Degree | 4,914 | 24.24% |
| Graduate Degree | 2,769 | 13.66% |
| High School Graduate | 4,886 | 24.1% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 529 | 2.61% |
| Some College | 4,488 | 22.14% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 17,654 | 16,637 | 7,043 |
| Hispanic | 1,550 | 1,232 | 197 |
| Other Race | 782 | 582 | 79 |
| 2+ Races | 542 | 482 | 133 |
| Asian | 366 | 228 | 172 |
| Black | 285 | 258 | 105 |
| Native American | 102 | 89 | 34 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.24%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 46.99%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $53,942 | $64,424 | $40,864 |
| Graduate Degree | $79,688 | $90,917 | $71,961 |
| High School Graduate | $33,457 | $36,034 | $27,399 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $41,941 | $46,774 | $25,987 |
| Overall | $48,611 | $59,713 | $40,176 |
| Some College | $41,935 | $58,500 | $31,811 |
$48,611
Average Earnings
$59,713
Average Male
$40,176
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
90.34% of Kearney residents speak only English, while 9.66% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.49% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 26,739 | 4,066 | 15.21% |
| Hispanic | 3,280 | 352 | 10.73% |
| Multiple | 1,438 | 260 | 18.08% |
| Asian | 632 | 103 | 16.3% |
| Other | 1,435 | 101 | 7.04% |
| Native | 183 | 76 | 41.53% |
| Black | 344 | 20 | 5.81% |
15.08%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.11%
Male Poverty Rate
17.11%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Kearney is Native, with 41.53% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Kearney is Black, with 5.81% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.15%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.17%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.5%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 25.38% |
| High School | 12.98% |
| Some College | 8.51% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 5.8% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 27.21% |
| Female Unemployed | 24.24% |
| Female Employed | 13.93% |
| Male Employed | 8.28% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $93,765 | $109,663 |
| Households | $66,843 | $85,354 |
| Married Families | $110,000 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $36,186 | $49,449 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
42.2%
Overall Marriage Rate
43.5%
Male Marriage Rate
40.9%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,552
Number of Veterans
1,357
Male Veterans
195
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 650 |
| Second Gulf War | 320 |
| First Gulf War | 319 |
| Korea | 134 |
| World War II | 30 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 451 |
| 75+ | 409 |
| 35 to 54 | 395 |
| 55 to 64 | 209 |
| 18 to 34 | 88 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,406 | 5.91% |
| Black | 115 | 33.43% |
| 2+ Races | 31 | 4.04% |
| Hispanic | 16 | 0.71% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
4.15%
Veteran Poverty Rate
37.44%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
71.2%
Labor Force Participation
68.8%
Employment Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
72.28%
Born in Kearney
94.83%
Native Born
5.17%
Foreign Born
2.51%
Non Citizen
2.66%
Naturalized
94.83% of Kearney residents were born in the United States, with 72.28% having been born in Nebraska. 2.51% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 35,328 | 161 | 0.46% |
| 2028 | 35,167 | 161 | 0.46% |
| 2027 | 35,006 | 161 | 0.46% |
| 2026 | 34,845 | 161 | 0.46% |
| 2025 | 34,684 | 161 | 0.47% |
| 2024 | 34,523 | 161 | 0.47% |
| 2023 | 34,362 | 105 | 0.31% |
| 2022 | 34,257 | 278 | 0.82% |
| 2021 | 33,979 | 100 | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 33,879 | -127 | -0.37% |
| 2019 | 34,006 | 337 | 1% |
| 2018 | 33,669 | 47 | 0.14% |
| 2017 | 33,622 | 233 | 0.7% |
| 2016 | 33,389 | 420 | 1.27% |
| 2015 | 32,969 | 360 | 1.1% |
| 2014 | 32,609 | 249 | 0.77% |
| 2013 | 32,360 | 297 | 0.93% |
| 2012 | 32,063 | 591 | 1.88% |
| 2011 | 31,472 | 467 | 1.51% |
| 2010 | 31,005 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 27,431 | 3,035 | 12.44% |
| 1990 | 24,396 | 3,238 | 15.3% |
| 1980 | 21,158 | 1,977 | 10.31% |
| 1970 | 19,181 | 4,971 | 34.98% |
| 1960 | 14,210 | 2,095 | 17.29% |
| 1950 | 12,115 | 2,472 | 25.64% |
| 1940 | 9,643 | 1,068 | 12.45% |
| 1930 | 8,575 | 873 | 11.33% |
| 1920 | 7,702 | 1,500 | 24.19% |
| 1910 | 6,202 | 568 | 10.08% |
| 1900 | 5,634 | -2,440 | -30.22% |
| 1890 | 8,074 | -27,254 | -77.15% |