Friend is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, home to about 1,155 people across 0.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 68359.
Homes sold for a median of $109 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Friend; also Cordova
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Friend. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Friend’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)85 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lincoln Airport (LNK)30 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE34 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL505 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Friend; 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.
Friend had 954 residents in the 2020 census, down 19% since 2000.
It’s the 106th largest of 580 towns in Nebraska by population.
Saline County grew from 18,252 residents in 1900 to 14,292 in 2020.
Saline County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 13°F. About 29.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 24 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Friend 3e, NE weather station (3 miles away).
5,375 jobs at 321 businesses in Saline County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
9 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Friend.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 6 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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 (2 nearby)
Libraries
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by Friend Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friend Elementary SchoolFriend | Pre-K–6 | 127 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Friend High SchoolsFriend | 7–12 | 100 | Public | 1.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Cordova.
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.