Census tract · Scotts Bluff County
Census Tract 9538, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska
Census Tract 9538, GEOID 31157953800, in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, mostly within Gering (83% of its census blocks). 5,041 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±457); the 2020 Census counted 4,890.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,041
±457 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,890
Median household income
$65,938
±$18,200 (90% margin)
Scotts Bluff County: $63,614
Median home value
$179,000
±$30,133 (90% margin)
Scotts Bluff County: $168,500
Median gross rent
$742
±$126 (90% margin)
Scotts Bluff County: $909
Where is Census Tract 9538?
Census Tract 9538 is one of 11 census tracts in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. It covers 12.33 square miles of land, 396 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 31157953800, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Gering | 83% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 9538: Tract 9529 ($73,649), Tract 9532 ($78,750), Tract 9537 ($35,463) and Tract 9539 ($81,890). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 9538?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9538's population at 5,041 (±457) in 2,047 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,890 residents and 2,095 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | Gering |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,041 ±457 | 8,550 |
| Households | 2,047 ±193 | 3,368 |
| Average household size | 2.37 ±0.17 | 2.44 |
| Housing units | 2,141 ±187 | 3,561 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 9538?
The median resident of Census Tract 9538 is 34.1 years old; 27.5% are under 18 and 13.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 64.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 26.2%. 5.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | Gering |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.1 ±2.3 | 35.8 |
| Under 18 years | 27.5% ±4.8 pts | 25.5% |
| 65 years and over | 13.9% ±2.9 pts | 19.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 26.2% ±6.3 pts | 24.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 64.4% ±6.9 pts | 68.7% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±2.2 pts | 1.5% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±2.7 pts | 1.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±1.9 pts | 2.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 5.3% ±2.8 pts | 5.5% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.6% ±5.3 pts | 13.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8% ±3.3 pts | 7.6% |
| With a disability | 14.0% ±3.8 pts | 11.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.3% ±3.7 pts | 11.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.7% ±3.3 pts | 90.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.4% ±6.8 pts | 32.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.2% ±4.9 pts | 12.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.3% ±5.8 pts | 85.8% |
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 Census Tract 9538 earn?
Half of the 2,047 households in Census Tract 9538 earn less than $65,938 a year (±$18,200), against $63,614 across Scotts Bluff County: 6th highest of the county's 11 tracts with a reliable estimate. 19.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | Gering |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,938 ±$18,200 | $75,093 |
| Mean household income | $84,549 ±$14,752 | $90,669 |
| Per capita income | $35,767 ±$5,880 | $38,166 |
| People below the poverty line | 19.3% ±8.2 pts | 12.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 32.3% ±19.8 pts | 20.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.0% ±7.0 pts | 10.4% |
| Households with a computer | 92.5% ±4.9 pts | 94.4% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.9% ±4.6 pts | 93.1% |
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 Census Tract 9538?
Owners occupy 60.7% of Census Tract 9538's occupied homes and renters 39.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $179,000 by its owner (±$30,133). The median renter pays $742 a month including utilities, and 44.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | Gering |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $179,000 ±$30,133 | $186,500 |
| Median gross rent | $742 ±$126 | $823 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.0% ±15.1 pts | 43.3% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,713 ±$403 | $1,573 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.7% ±8.7 pts | 72.3% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.3% ±8.7 pts | 27.7% |
| Housing units | 2,141 ±187 | 3,561 |
| Single-family detached homes | 67.5% ±7.7 pts | 75.5% |
| Mobile homes | 3.4% ±2.9 pts | 1.8% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.4% ±5.1 pts | 5.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.9% ±4.7 pts | 9.6% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.7% ±5.2 pts | 8.3% |
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 do people in Census Tract 9538 get to work?
86.3% of Census Tract 9538's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 14.5 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | Gering |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 67.9% ±5.5 pts | 65.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 86.3% ±8.1 pts | 88.8% |
| Carpooled | 9.3% ±7.4 pts | 5.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.2% |
| Walked | 1.1% ±1.6 pts | 1.9% |
| Worked from home | 1.7% ±1.9 pts | 3.0% |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.5 min ±2.0 | 15.1 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
How does Census Tract 9538 compare with the other tracts in Scotts Bluff County?
Among Scotts Bluff County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9538 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Scotts Bluff County |
|---|---|
| Population | 1st of 11 |
| Residents per square mile | 6th of 11 |
| Median household income | 6th of 11 |
| Per capita income | 6th of 11 |
| Median home value | 6th of 11 |
| Median gross rent | 9th of 11 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd of 8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6th of 11 |
| Median age | 10th of 11 |
| Owner-occupied share | 8th of 11 |
The tracts next to it on Scotts Bluff County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9534 | 3rd | $75,613±$11,839 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9529 | 4th | $73,649±$9,544 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9530 | 5th | $70,229±$9,997 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9538 | 6th | $65,938±$18,200 |
| Tract 9536 | 7th | $63,899±$15,813 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9533 | 8th | $55,938±$15,344 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9531 | 9th | $55,430±$7,747 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 9538?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9538 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections