City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023

Blair, NE

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Blair - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

7,868
Residents
$76,292
Median income
$211,000
Median home
$1,368
Median rent (state)

Blair - the verdict

Blair ranks in the 58th percentile for household income and the 70th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

58th
percentile, household income
46th
percentile, home value
53rd
percentile, median rent
70th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Blair, NE

7,868 people live in Blair, Nebraska - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Blair brings in $76,292 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.8%. Home values in Blair run a median of $211,000, and the median resident age is 40.2 years. 37.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 64.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 25 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Growing), up 19% from five years earlier. Blair reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 848.1 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Blair's yearly average temperature at 50.2°F.

Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Nebraska scores 90.1 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,368 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Nebraska run around $207, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 25.5 out of 100 (Very Low).

Population

7,868 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Nebraska

Median Household Income

$76,292 /yr

Poverty 8.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average

How does Blair compare to other US cities?

Where Blair sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 58% higher than other cities
Home value 46% pricier than other cities
Median rent 53% pricier than other cities
Safety 70% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Nebraska and the picture shifts: Blair ranks #16 of 44 Nebraska cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Blair against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Nebraska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Nebraska-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Blair's strongest outlier among Nebraska cities

Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Blair ranks #26 - the 94th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Blair only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#112 of 439
74th percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 450
92nd percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#41 of 438
91st percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#150 of 450
66th percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#26 of 450
94th percentile in Nebraska

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Nebraska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

58thIncome percentile
70thSafety percentile

58th percentile nationally for median household income · 70th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Blair's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Blair's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 60 Avg. percentile National median
Blair's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Blair's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$211,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 54% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Blair $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Blair, NE Blair, NE's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Blair, NE-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Blair, NE median $76,292/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Blair, NE's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Blair, NE. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 37.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
7,868
Median Income
$76,292
Median Home Value
$211,000
Median Age
40.2
Poverty Rate
8.8%
Labor force participation
64.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
37.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
848.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
124.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
723.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
50.2°F
Annual Precipitation
N/A
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,800 residents7,900 residents8,000 residents8,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 7,824 residents 7,997 residents ▲ +2.2%
Blair's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
25
housing units authorized
Single-Family
25
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 21
2020 37
2021 56
2022 35
2023 18
2024 25

Permit volume increased 19% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
85.8%
Carpool
5.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
7.8%

Based on 3,948 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Nebraska - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$207
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Nebraska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Nebraska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Blair sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,368/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
25.5 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Nebraska

Seward
7,665 people
Alliance
8,089 people
York
8,114 people
Crete
7,521 people
McCook
7,360 people
Nebraska City
7,287 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Blair's 7,868 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Cumming, GA
7,869 people
West Dundee, IL
7,867 people
Bernardsville, NJ
7,871 people
White Knoll, SC
7,865 people
Grove City, PA
7,861 people
Glastonbury Center, CT
7,860 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Blair's $76,292 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Big Lake, AK
$76,292 median income
Vandalia, OH
$76,290 median income
Blue Ridge, TX
$76,296 median income
Wyoming, PA
$76,286 median income
Marine, IL
$76,304 median income
Springhill, MT
$76,304 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Blair, NE Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Blair, NE - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 96.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.1% White 96.8% Black or African American 0.7% Asian 0.2% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 1.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Blair compares to nearby Nebraska cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Blair (this city) 7,868 $76,292
Seward 7,665 $70,000
Alliance 8,089 $65,599
York 8,114 $62,632
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Blair, NE?

What is the population of Blair, NE? +

The population of Blair, NE stands at 7,868 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Blair, NE? +

Median annual household income in Blair runs $76,292, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Blair? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Blair; the closest available measure is the Nebraska state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Nebraska vary by metro area.

Is Blair, NE safe? +

Blair has a total crime rate of 848.1 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Blair, NE? +

Blair's median home value sits at $211,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Blair? +

Blair has an average annual temperature of 50.2°F. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.