Census tract · Buffalo County
Census Tract 9697, Buffalo County, Nebraska
Census Tract 9697, GEOID 31019969700, in Buffalo County, Nebraska, mostly within Kearney (85% of its census blocks). 6,591 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±579); the 2020 Census counted 6,625.
Residents, 2020-2024
6,591
±579 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 6,625
Median household income
$83,977
±$11,562 (90% margin)
Buffalo County: $75,911
Median home value
$233,500
±$25,036 (90% margin)
Buffalo County: $246,400
Median gross rent
$808
±$75 (90% margin)
Buffalo County: $936
Where is Census Tract 9697?
Census Tract 9697 is one of 11 census tracts in Buffalo County, Nebraska. It covers 19.54 square miles of land, 339 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 31019969700, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Kearney | 85% |
8 census tracts border Census Tract 9697: Tract 9690 ($90,417), Tract 9691 ($81,681), Tract 9692.04 ($89,253), Tract 9693 ($49,191), Tract 9694 ($69,016), Tract 9695 ($61,585), Tract 9696 ($50,709) and Tract 9666 in Kearney County ($88,269). 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 9697?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9697's population at 6,591 (±579) in 2,550 households; the 2020 Census counted 6,625 residents and 2,716 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9697 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,591 ±579 | 34,246 |
| Households | 2,550 ±250 | 14,028 |
| Average household size | 2.52 ±0.17 | 2.30 |
| Housing units | 2,625 ±245 | 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 9697?
The median resident of Census Tract 9697 is 37.4 years old; 22.4% are under 18 and 12.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 74.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 18.8%. 7.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 9697 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.4 ±3.6 | 32.8 |
| Under 18 years | 22.4% ±2.9 pts | 20.8% |
| 65 years and over | 12.5% ±2.4 pts | 16.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 18.8% ±5.9 pts | 11.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 74.7% ±6.3 pts | 81.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 1.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 2.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±0.9 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±1.2 pts | 2.6% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.8 pts | 0.7% |
| Born outside the United States | 7.2% ±3.3 pts | 5.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.8% ±5.6 pts | 9.8% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.9% ±2.7 pts | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 14.4% ±3.3 pts | 12.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.2% ±3.0 pts | 7.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.2% ±2.9 pts | 94.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.9% ±5.8 pts | 36.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.9% ±2.5 pts | 12.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.4% ±5.1 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 9697 earn?
Half of the 2,550 households in Census Tract 9697 earn less than $83,977 a year (±$11,562), against $75,911 across Buffalo County: 3rd highest of the county's 11 tracts with a reliable estimate. 11.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9697 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,977 ±$11,562 | $69,724 |
| Mean household income | $91,670 ±$13,453 | $89,198 |
| Per capita income | $37,357 ±$4,949 | $37,716 |
| People below the poverty line | 11.9% ±5.1 pts | 12.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.3% ±12.2 pts | 10.6% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.6% ±5.4 pts | 7.9% |
| Households with a computer | 95.3% ±3.7 pts | 96.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.9% ±4.9 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 9697?
Owners occupy 66.8% of Census Tract 9697's occupied homes and renters 33.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $233,500 by its owner (±$25,036). The median renter pays $808 a month including utilities, and 26.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 9697 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $233,500 ±$25,036 | $244,600 |
| Median gross rent | $808 ±$75 | $949 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 26.5% ±13.7 pts | 35.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,568 ±$88 | $1,691 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.8% ±7.6 pts | 60.6% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.2% ±7.6 pts | 39.4% |
| Housing units | 2,625 ±245 | 14,750 |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.4% ±7.1 pts | 57.3% |
| Mobile homes | 3.8% ±3.2 pts | 5.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 1.9% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 16.6% ±6.0 pts | 13.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.5% ±4.4 pts | 11.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.3% ±5.7 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 9697 get to work?
79.1% of Census Tract 9697's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 14.5 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 9697 | Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.5% ±4.0 pts | 71.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.6% ±1.5 pts | 2.9% |
| Drove alone to work | 79.1% ±5.5 pts | 80.8% |
| Carpooled | 15.7% ±4.9 pts | 10.7% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.3% |
| Walked | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 2.2% |
| Worked from home | 3.5% ±2.4 pts | 4.5% |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.5 min ±2.3 | 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 9697 compare with the other tracts in Buffalo County?
Among Buffalo County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9697 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Buffalo County | In Kearney |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1st of 11 | 1st of 8 |
| Residents per square mile | 8th of 11 | 8th of 8 |
| Median household income | 3rd of 11 | 2nd of 8 |
| Per capita income | 8th of 11 | 5th of 8 |
| Median home value | 5th of 10 | 4th of 7 |
| Median gross rent | 9th of 11 | 7th of 8 |
| Poverty rate | 5th of 10 | 5th of 7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10th of 11 | 8th of 8 |
| Median age | 6th of 11 | 5th of 8 |
| Owner-occupied share | 6th of 11 | 3rd of 8 |
The tracts next to it on Buffalo County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9690 | 1st | $90,417±$8,850 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9692.04 | 2nd | $89,253±$17,347 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9697 | 3rd | $83,977±$11,562 |
| Tract 9692.03 | 4th | $82,069±$12,811 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9691 | 5th | $81,681±$4,466 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9692.02 | 6th | $78,077±$17,862 · 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 9697?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9697 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