Palmer is a village in Merrick County, Nebraska, home to about 403 people across 0.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 68864.
Mostly Palmer
We’re writing up Palmer’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)122 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI)15 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE86 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL548 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Palmer; 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.
Palmer had 439 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2000.
It’s the 238th 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 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 27.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 22 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Saint Paul, NE weather station (12 miles 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).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
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 Palmer Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer Elementary SchoolPalmer | Pre-K–6 | 184 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Palmer Junior-Senior HighPalmer | 7–12 | 129 | Public | 3.3 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.
Real estate agents who work in Palmer answer questions about everyday life in town: parking, the commute, trash pickup, a good mechanic, anything you’d ask a neighbor.
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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.