ZIP Code 68856 — Merna village, NE Demographics & Data

ZIP code 68856 covers Merna, NE in Custer County with a population of about 690.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 36.8 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 308; U.S. House district NE-3; the LINCOLN & HSTNGS - KRNY media market.

Median household income in ZIP 68856 is about $81,250 — about 8% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 5.2%; unemployment rate near 0.5%; 24.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 9.6 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Healthcare; about 9.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 6.2 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $194,600 — about 44% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $650 (about 44% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 83.9% (about 18.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 68856 in Merna, NE, a household would need roughly $54,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,250. That sits below the local median household income ($81,250), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Merna village, NE as Very Low (composite score 28.0), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (82.3) and flood (43.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Merna village, NE show little to no average snow and around 25.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 44 for ZIP 68856 (Merna village, NE) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.