Kearney is a city in Buffalo County, Nebraska, home to about 34,246 people across 15 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 68845, 68847 and 68849.
Homes sold for a median of $145 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Kearney; also Glenwood and Odessa
Mostly Kearney; also Glenwood
All in Kearney
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Kearney. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Kearney’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)172 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Kearney Regional Airport (EAR)5 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE127 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Dallas, TX563 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Kearney; 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.
Kearney had 33,790 residents in the 2020 census, up 23% since 2000.
It’s the 5th largest of 580 towns in Nebraska by population.
Buffalo County grew from 20,254 residents in 1900 to 50,084 in 2020.
Buffalo County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 25.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 22 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kearney 4 Ne, NE weather station (5 miles away).
23,423 jobs at 1,777 businesses in Buffalo County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
833 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Kearney’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 53 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 125 |
| Dentists | 39 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 184 |
| Mental health providers | 266 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 112 |
| Optometrists | 12 |
| Chiropractors | 42 |
| Pharmacies | 17 |
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 (10 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 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.
Colleges and universities
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 Kearney Public Schools, West Kearney High School. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 248 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| Buffalo Hills ElementaryKearney | Pre-K–5 | 272 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Central Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 284 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Emerson Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 235 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Glenwood Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 118 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Kearney Education CenterKearney | Pre-K | 332 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Kenwood Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 398 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Meadowlark Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 417 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Northeast Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 397 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Park Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 257 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Windy Hills Elementary SchoolKearney | Pre-K–5 | 259 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Hanny Arram CenterKearney | 6–12 | 2 | Alternative Education | 1.4 mi |
| Horizon Middle SchoolKearney | 6–8 | 648 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Sunrise Middle SchoolKearney | 6–8 | 536 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| West Kearney High SchoolKearney | 8–12 | 65 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Kearney High SchoolKearney | 9–12 | 1,663 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith Christian SchoolKearney | Pre-K–8 | 95 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.4 mi |
| Zion Lutheran SchoolKearney | Pre-K–8 | 134 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 2.6 mi |
| Catholic High School of KearneyKearney | 6–12 | 355 | Roman Catholic | 1.9 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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Shares ZIP codes with Glenwood and Odessa.
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.