68901 and 68701 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
68901
68701
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 47%
vs58 · Top 43%
Growth
36 · Bottom 27%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 24%
vs27 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Access
42 · Bottom 2%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 48%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 68901 | 68701 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,264 | 31,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,585 | $62,633 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,905 | $36,979 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 175/sq mi | 167/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $190,100 | $214,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $858 | $886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.6% | 64.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.6% | 24.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 65 | 68 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -75.7% | -73.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 26.4" | 27.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 86 mi | 60 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.5 min | 15.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.82 | 14.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 44.2% | 44.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.5% | 50.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 44.2% | 51.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
68901
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind, lightning.
68701
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: 68901 — Hastings, NE · 68701 — Norfolk, NE · How this is calculated: methodology