Central City is a city in Merrick County, Nebraska, home to about 3,061 people across 2.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 68826.
Homes sold for a median of $116 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Central City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Central City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)110 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI)19 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE72 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL536 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Central City; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Central City had 3,039 residents in the 2020 census, up 1% since 2000.
It’s the 50th largest of 580 towns in Nebraska by population.
Merrick County grew from 9,255 residents in 1900 to 7,668 in 2020.
Merrick County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 28.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 29 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Central City, NE weather station (about a mile away).
1,766 jobs at 249 businesses in Merrick County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
21 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Central City.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 5 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 2 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (3 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1866.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Central City Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central City Elementary SchoolCentral City | Pre-K–4 | 327 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Central City Middle SchoolCentral City | 5–8 | 223 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Central City High SchoolCentral City | 9–12 | 243 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Christain SchoolsCentral City | Pre-K–12 | 247 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.