Census tract · Buffalo County
Census Tract 9696, Buffalo County, Nebraska
Census Tract 9696, GEOID 31019969600, in Buffalo County, Nebraska, entirely within Kearney. 5,509 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±511); the 2020 Census counted 5,460.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,509
±511 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,460
Median household income
$50,709
±$7,706 (90% margin)
Buffalo County: $75,911
Median home value
$223,800
±$16,198 (90% margin)
Buffalo County: $246,400
Median gross rent
$882
±$62 (90% margin)
Buffalo County: $936
Where is Census Tract 9696?
Census Tract 9696 is one of 11 census tracts in Buffalo County, Nebraska. It covers 1.23 square miles of land, 4,432 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 31019969600, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Kearney | 100% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 9696: Tract 9692.02 ($78,077), Tract 9692.04 ($89,253), Tract 9695 ($61,585) and Tract 9697 ($83,977). 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 9696?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9696's population at 5,509 (±511) in 1,782 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,460 residents and 1,879 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9696 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,509 ±511 | 34,246 |
| Households | 1,782 ±181 | 14,028 |
| Average household size | 2.25 ±0.22 | 2.30 |
| Housing units | 1,869 ±164 | 14,750 |
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 9696?
The median resident of Census Tract 9696 is 21.3 years old; 15.1% are under 18 and 4.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 74.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 18.8%. 6.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 9696 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.3 ±0.5 | 32.8 |
| Under 18 years | 15.1% ±4.0 pts | 20.8% |
| 65 years and over | 4.5% ±1.1 pts | 16.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 18.8% ±4.3 pts | 11.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 74.6% ±4.8 pts | 81.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±0.9 pts | 1.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±2.4 pts | 2.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±0.9 pts | 2.6% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.7% |
| Born outside the United States | 6.2% ±2.6 pts | 5.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 15.1% ±4.7 pts | 9.8% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.2% ±1.1 pts | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 10.9% ±3.2 pts | 12.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.6% ±2.7 pts | 7.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.5% ±3.6 pts | 94.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 28.8% ±7.6 pts | 36.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.2% ±5.3 pts | 12.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 63.8% ±6.4 pts | 80.5% |
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 9696 earn?
Half of the 1,782 households in Census Tract 9696 earn less than $50,709 a year (±$7,706), against $75,911 across Buffalo County: 10th highest of the county's 11 tracts with a reliable estimate. 22.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9696 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,709 ±$7,706 | $69,724 |
| Mean household income | $65,135 ±$8,070 | $89,198 |
| Per capita income | $22,526 ±$2,238 | $37,716 |
| People below the poverty line | 22.8% ±5.9 pts | 12.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.8% ±10.5 pts | 10.6% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.4% ±4.2 pts | 7.9% |
| Households with a computer | 98.4% ±1.6 pts | 96.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.6% ±4.0 pts | 91.4% |
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 9696?
Owners occupy 34.6% of Census Tract 9696's occupied homes and renters 65.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $223,800 by its owner (±$16,198). The median renter pays $882 a month including utilities, and 42.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 9696 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $223,800 ±$16,198 | $244,600 |
| Median gross rent | $882 ±$62 | $949 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.2% ±9.9 pts | 35.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,628 ±$222 | $1,691 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 34.6% ±6.4 pts | 60.6% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 65.4% ±6.4 pts | 39.4% |
| Housing units | 1,869 ±164 | 14,750 |
| Single-family detached homes | 37.7% ±5.6 pts | 57.3% |
| Mobile homes | 7.4% ±3.1 pts | 5.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.9 pts | 1.9% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.4% ±7.0 pts | 13.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.5% ±5.1 pts | 11.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.9% ±2.2 pts | 5.0% |
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 9696 get to work?
77.6% of Census Tract 9696's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 11.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.3%.
| Measure | Tract 9696 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 80.2% ±3.8 pts | 71.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% ±2.3 pts | 2.9% |
| Drove alone to work | 77.6% ±5.5 pts | 80.8% |
| Carpooled | 9.9% ±4.5 pts | 10.7% |
| Public transportation | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.3% |
| Walked | 9.2% ±4.0 pts | 2.2% |
| Worked from home | 1.0% ±0.8 pts | 4.5% |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.5 min ±1.5 | 13.9 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 9696 compare with the other tracts in Buffalo County?
Among Buffalo County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9696 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Buffalo County | In Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4th of 11 | 4th of 8 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st of 11 | 1st of 8 |
| Median household income | 10th of 11 | 7th of 8 |
| Per capita income | 11th of 11 | 8th of 8 |
| Median home value | 6th of 10 | 5th of 7 |
| Median gross rent | 6th of 11 | 5th of 8 |
| Poverty rate | 1st of 10 | 1st of 7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7th of 11 | 6th of 8 |
| Median age | 11th of 11 | 8th of 8 |
| Owner-occupied share | 11th of 11 | 8th of 8 |
The tracts next to it on Buffalo County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9689 | 7th | $73,125±$11,594 |
| Tract 9694 | 8th | $69,016±$15,691 |
| Tract 9695 | 9th | $61,585±$23,017 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9696 | 10th | $50,709±$7,706 |
| Tract 9693 | 11th | $49,191±$7,668 · 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 9696?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9696 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