City safety & data profile

KearneyNE

Kearney, NE is a 33K-resident city in Buffalo County with a median household income of $69,724.

Buffalo County, Nebraska. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Kearney, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Kearney has a population larger than 67% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $244,600, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

33K
Population
Top 33%
By size
$69,724
Median income
$244,600
Median home
12.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Kearney

Kearney posts a median household income higher than 36% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Kearney area.

Top 64%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Kearney

Where Kearney income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$69,724 Bottom 36% higher than 36% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NE $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Kearney, NE beyond the headline numbers

Kearney sits inside Buffalo County, Nebraska, at roughly 40.70°N, -99.08°W. Population 33,021, $69,724 median household income. Median home value $244,600, median rent $949. Poverty rate 12.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Kearney's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 37.4%, then short sleep duration at 32%. 2 hospitals in/around Kearney, 4/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Kearney from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
33,021
Kearney
Median Income
$69,724
+3% vs avg
Median Home Value
$244,600
+7% vs avg
Median Age
32.8
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Buffalo County) - Kearney's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
51K+8%
Median Income
$75,911+49%
Median Home Value
$246,400+76%
Poverty Rate
9.9%-27%
Unemployment
2.6%-35%

Economics

Economics indicators for Kearney, NE
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$949/mo
Poverty Rate
12.4% -13% vs avg
Unemployment 2.9%
Bachelor's Degree+ 36.5%
Work From Home 4.5%
Public Transit 0.3%

Population

White 84.4%
African American 1.3%
Asian 2.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
37.4%
Short Sleep Duration
32%
High Blood Pressure
30.2%
Physical Inactivity
23.8%
Binge Drinking
21.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.7%
Current Smoking
12.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
9.6%
Current Asthma
9.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 62.4%
Annual Checkup 74%

Other Measures

Diabetes
8.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.4%
Stroke
2.7%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
2
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
CHI HEALTH GOOD SAMARITAN
KEARNEY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
KEARNEY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
KEARNEY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Kearney, NE? ▼
Kearney, NE has a population of 33,021 people, located in Buffalo County, Nebraska.
What is the median household income in Kearney? ▼
The median household income in Kearney, NE is $69,724 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 12.4%.
What is the median home value in Kearney? ▼
The median home value in Kearney, NE is $244,600. Median rent is $949/month.
What are the top health concerns in Kearney? ▼
The top health indicators in Kearney include Obesity (37.4%), Short Sleep Duration (32%), High Blood Pressure (30.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Kearney? ▼
Kearney has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Kearney? ▼
The median age in Kearney, NE is 32.8 years. 36.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Kearney, NE is located in Buffalo County, Nebraska. With a population of 33K and a $69,724 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Kearney area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Nebraska

Real-time AQI for every monitored Nebraska location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Lexington, NE 10K Hastings, NE 25K Grand Island, NE 51K North Platte, NE 24K Hays, KS 21K Columbus, NE 23K Norfolk, NE 24K Great Bend, KS 16K
All cities in Nebraska → Compare Kearney vs Lexington → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Kearney's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Kearney area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Kearney against Nebraska peers on any ranking lens. Explore Nebraska

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Buffalo County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.