Palmer, Nebraska Commercial St 1, 2012
Palmer’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1887Palmer is settled
PalmerNE
A town of 443, settled in 1887.
Population
443
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$277K
+3.9% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
43.4
years
Jobs based here
151
Balanced
Is Palmer a good place to live?
Palmer’s mean commuting time is 33 minutes, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 17 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 3 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Palmer. Palmer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
443 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Palmer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Palmer, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern Public Power District9.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Palmer water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Palmer’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Nebraska you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person until 11 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMerrick County ClerkMerrick County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code6886468864 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Palmer.
Natural hazards
Top of a very high hazard risk in Palmer: hail
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a higher risk rating from FEMA than Palmer. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 35% come from hail and 28% from inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Palmer once, in 2006.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Palmer has four seasons and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 87° and January nights of 14°, with about 22 inches of snow a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–37°
Spring38–62°
Summer62–85°
Fall39–64°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
About two in five of Palmer’s working residents commute to Grand Island
Palmer: 5.9% of working residents work locally, below Nebraska’s towns (34%) and close to U.S. towns (8%). Among residents locally, 5.7% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Grand Island (41%), Lincoln (6%) and St. Paul (4%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 22 miles.
6%work in town
| Palmer | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Palmer6%
Grand Island41%
Lincoln6%
St. Paul4%
Central City4%
22 mi
median commute distance
151
jobs based in Palmer
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Palmer is
Three quarters of adults in Palmer had a checkup this year; 31% sleep under 7 hours. The town tracks Nebraska closely on all 32 CDC measures. Also worth knowing: in Palmer, 21% of adults binge drink.
| Palmer | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Howard County Medical Center
10.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Palmer: about $277K
Home values are up 3.9% over the year to September 2026. Palmer’s midpoint rent comes in at $875 a month. For households here, the share who live in a home they own is 81%.
$277KZillow home value
| Palmer | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $875 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Palmer$277K
Nebraska$278K
+3.9%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Palmer
16pages on Palmer
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Palmer; the nearest are
Central Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grand Island23.7 mi$3,360 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska at KearneyUniversity or college · Public · Kearney56.7 mi$8,676 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Palmer residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
About Palmer
Village in Nebraska, United States
Palmer is a village in Merrick County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 439 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Grand Island metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,801 ft
- ZIP code
- 68864
Questions about Palmer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Palmer, NE a good place to live?
Palmer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.