City · Nebraska
Friend, Nebraska
Friend, city, in Saline County, Nebraska. Friend had 950 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 954 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,155 (±215). GEOID 3117775.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
950
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 954 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,155 ±215
Median household income
$90,909
±$12,830 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $76,475
Median home value
$173,800
±$13,707 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $238,600
Median gross rent
$810
±$287 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $1,072
Where is Friend and what county is it in?
Friend is a city in Saline County, Nebraska. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 1,154 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Friend, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 950 people lived in Friend on July 1, 2025, down 0.3% since 2020, while Nebraska grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 954 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,155 (±215).
| Measure | Friend | Saline County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,155 ±215 | 14,650 | no clear change |
| Households | 462 ±72 | 5,143 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.50 ±0.22 | 2.73 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 497 ±75 | 5,799 | no clear change |
Friend's population since 2000
From 1,174 in 2000 to 950 in 2025: down 19.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Friend as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Friend?
The median resident of Friend is 32.1 years old; 31.7% are under 18 and 12.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.9%.
| Measure | Friend | Saline County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.1 ±9.3 | 37.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 31.7% ±5.5 pts | 26.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.6% ±3.5 pts | 15.4% | – |
| Male | 49.5% ±6.2 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.9% ±6.2 pts | 29.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.0% ±6.4 pts | 64.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.9% ±5.4 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.3% ±5.9 pts | 28.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.0% ±2.6 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 7.2% ±2.6 pts | 12.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.7% ±1.3 pts | 9.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.5% ±3.0 pts | 82.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 26.9% ±7.2 pts | 21.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.2% ±6.7 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.5% ±8.9 pts | 87.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Friend earn?
Half of Friend's 462 households earn less than $90,909 a year (±$12,830), against $79,910 in Saline County and $76,475 in Nebraska. In 2015-2019 the median was $74,611 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $16,298 after inflation. 6.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Friend | Saline County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,909 ±$12,830 | $79,910 | +$16,298 |
| Mean household income | $106,745 ±$13,334 | $94,556 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,179 ±$5,110 | $33,639 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.1% ±3.1 pts | 8.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.3% ±3.5 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.4% ±3.9 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.2% ±3.0 pts | 92.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.3% ±4.3 pts | 84.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Friend?
Owners occupy 85.1% of Friend's occupied homes and renters 14.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $173,800 by its owner (±$13,707). The median renter pays $810 a month including utilities, and 37.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Friend | Saline County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $173,800 ±$13,707 | $197,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $810 ±$287 | $914 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.3% ±20.9 pts | 15.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,562 ±$100 | $1,676 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.1% ±6.2 pts | 75.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.9% ±6.2 pts | 24.1% | – |
| Housing units | 497 ±75 | 5,799 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.2% ±3.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±29.5 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 90.9% ±4.3 pts | 83.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.4% ±2.6 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.0% ±3.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.8% ±10.0 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 3.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Friend building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Friend in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 1.1 per 1,000 residents against 5.3 across Nebraska.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Friend work and get to work?
81.7% of Friend's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 40.4 minutes.
| Measure | Friend | Saline County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 75.7% ±4.7 pts | 68.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.6% ±1.4 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.7% ±10.5 pts | 78.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.4% ±8.3 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 5.5% ±8.1 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.1% ±1.5 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 40.4 min ±14.6 | 21.5 min | +20.3 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Friend?
No census tract lies mostly in Friend; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9607Saline County | 2,222 | $81,680 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Friend) · Census block assignment files
How does Friend compare with other places in Nebraska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Friend is the 10,491st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 116th-most populous of 528 in Nebraska.
Friend is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 116th | 528 |
Friend's figures with every place in Nebraska (CSV)
Every place in Nebraska, sortable · Compare Friend with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Friend?
22 of the 57 figures for Friend on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Friend are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Friend.