City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023

Norfolk, NE

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

25,962
Residents
$62,175
Median income
$199,100
Median home
$1,001
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Norfolk, NE

Norfolk is a city in Nebraska with a population of 25,962 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $62,175 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 6.8%. Typical homes in Norfolk are valued around $199,100, and the median resident age is 37.4 years. About 24.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 67.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 259 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Growing), up 13% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1345.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 48.1°F with 27.9 inches of precipitation per year and 26.3 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Nebraska registers 90.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,001 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $207 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Norfolk report an average commute of 12.2 minutes, with 80.5% driving alone and 4.8% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 25.8 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

25,962 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Nebraska

Median Household Income

$62,175 /yr

Poverty 6.8%

Cost of Living Index

90.1 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Norfolk compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 39% higher than other cities
Home value 43% pricier than other cities
Median rent 15% pricier than other cities
Safety 51% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Norfolk against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Norfolk, NE Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Norfolk, NE. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Norfolk, NE — median $62,175/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Norfolk, NE — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.0%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.8%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.2%

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

Population
25,962
Median Income
$62,175
Median Home Value
$199,100
Median Age
37.4
Poverty Rate
6.8%
Labor force participation
67.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1345.6
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
202.0
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1143.6
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
48.1°F
Annual Precipitation
27.9"
Annual Snowfall
26.3"

Schools

Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
259
housing units authorized
Single-Family
31
detached homes
Multifamily
228
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 230
2020 336
2021 74
2022 109
2023 97
2024 259

Permit volume increased 13% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
12.2 minutes
Drive Alone
80.5%
Carpool
10.9%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.8%
Work from Home
4.8%
Other
1.7%

Based on 13,455 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

Nebraska state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,001/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
25.8 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Norfolk, 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 Norfolk, NE — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Norfolk compares to nearby Nebraska cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Norfolk) plus the nearest peer cities in Nebraska, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NE

Norfolk

62.18% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$62,175
Brackets
26
Selected

NE

Hastings

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,500
Brackets
25
Selected

NE

Fremont

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,730
Brackets
27
Selected

NE

Columbus

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,420
Brackets
24
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Norfolk, NE?

What is the population of Norfolk, NE? +

Norfolk, NE has a population of 25,962 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Norfolk is $62,175 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Norfolk? +

Norfolk has a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Norfolk, NE safe? +

Norfolk has a total crime rate of 1345.6 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Norfolk is $199,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Norfolk? +

Norfolk has an average annual temperature of 48.1°F, 27.9 inches of precipitation, and 26.3 inches of snowfall per year. 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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