Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Mead - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Mead lands in the 54th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
54th
percentile, household income
27th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Mead, NE
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 600 residents in Mead, a small town within Nebraska. Median household income here is $73,500 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.3%. Typical homes in Mead are valued around $151,600, and the median resident age is 32.3 years. About 12.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 74.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 50% from five years earlier. NOAA puts Mead's yearly average temperature at 50.0°F with 30.1 inches of precipitation per year and 20.3 inches of snowfall.
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,089 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Nebraska run around $207, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Mead workers runs 19.8 minutes, with 92.9% driving alone and 4.7% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 29.1 out of 100 (Very Low).
Population
600 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Nebraska
Median Household Income
$73,500/yr
Poverty 6.3%
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.1 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average
How does Mead compare to other US cities?
Where Mead sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income54% higher than other cities
Home value27% pricier than other cities
Median rent27% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Mead 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 places Mead toward the bottom of Nebraska's cities
Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Mead ranks #369 - the 18th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Mead only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#136 of 439
69th percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#84 of 450
79th percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#141 of 438
68th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#210 of 450
52nd percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#369 of 450
18th 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.
54th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Mead's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$151,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 73% of 15,600 US cities
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
Mead, 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 Mead, NE. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)12.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)74.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
600
Median Income
$73,500
Median Home Value
$151,600
Median Age
32.3
Poverty Rate
6.3%
Labor force participation
74.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.0%
Climate
Avg Temperature
50.0°F
Annual Precipitation
30.1"
Annual Snowfall
20.3"
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Mead's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$0.3M
2020
1
1
0
$0.6M
2021
1
1
0
$0.1M
2022
1
1
0
$0.1M
2023
1
1
0
$0.2M
2024
1
1
0
$0.3M
Permit volume decreased 50% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
19.8 minutes
Drive Alone
92.9%
Carpool
2.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.7%
Based on 338 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 Mead sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Mead, NE?
What is the population of Mead, NE?+
Mead, NE has a population of 600 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Mead, NE?+
The median household income in Mead is $73,500 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Mead?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Mead; 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.
What is the median home value in Mead, NE?+
The median home value in Mead is $151,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the climate like in Mead?+
Mead has an average annual temperature of 50.0°F, 30.1 inches of precipitation, and 20.3 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.