Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Nebraska a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Nebraska.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Cornhusker State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Nebraska, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 93 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Nebraska For 2025
- Washington County
- Saunders County
- Cass County
- Sarpy County
- Stanton County
- Kearney County
- Seward County
- Fillmore County
- Hamilton County
- Cedar County
Washington County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Nebraska. And you should avoid Pawnee County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Nebraska. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Nebraska and the cheapest places to live in Nebraska.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Nebraska For 2025
1. Washington County
Biggest Place: Blair
Population: 20,989
Median Income: $90,188 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $278,300 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (43rd best)
More on Washington County:
2. Saunders County
Biggest Place: Wahoo
Population: 22,761
Median Income: $89,395 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $241,100 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (50th best)
More on Saunders County:
3. Cass County
Biggest Place: Plattsmouth
Population: 26,963
Median Income: $88,255 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $247,200 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (47th best)
More on Cass County:
4. Sarpy County
Biggest Place: Bellevue
Population: 194,051
Median Income: $101,402 (best)
Median Home Price: $287,600 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (59th best)
More on Sarpy County:
5. Stanton County
Biggest Place: Stanton
Population: 5,835
Median Income: $78,275 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $184,300 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.4% (8th best)
More on Stanton County:
6. Kearney County
Biggest Place: Minden
Population: 6,697
Median Income: $79,167 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $218,300 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (27th best)
More on Kearney County:
7. Seward County
Biggest Place: Seward
Population: 17,636
Median Income: $81,122 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $232,400 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (45th best)
More on Seward County:
8. Fillmore County
Biggest Place: Geneva
Population: 5,551
Median Income: $76,354 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $131,200 (57th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6% (10th best)
More on Fillmore County:
9. Hamilton County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 9,438
Median Income: $79,884 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $238,700 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (78th best)
More on Hamilton County:
10. Cedar County
Biggest Place: Hartington
Population: 8,344
Median Income: $73,977 (2best)
Median Home Price: $175,500 (28th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (30th best)
More on Cedar County:
Methodology: How do you determine which Nebraska county is the best?
To give you the best county in Nebraska, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Nebraska across each of the criteria from one to 93, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Nebraska.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Cornhusker State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Nebraska.
Read on to see why Washington County is the best county, while Pawnee County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Nebraska.
Summary: The Best Counties In Nebraska To Call Home For 2025
Living in Nebraska can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Nebraska are Washington County, Saunders County, Cass County, Sarpy County, Stanton County, Kearney County, Seward County, Fillmore County, Hamilton County, and Cedar County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Nebraska according to the data:
- Pawnee County
- Nemaha County
- Thurston County
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Nebraska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
- Richest Cities In Nebraska
- Best Places To Retire In Nebraska
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Nebraska
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington County | 20,989 | $90,188 | $278,300 |
| 2 | Saunders County | 22,761 | $89,395 | $241,100 |
| 3 | Cass County | 26,963 | $88,255 | $247,200 |
| 4 | Sarpy County | 194,051 | $101,402 | $287,600 |
| 5 | Stanton County | 5,835 | $78,275 | $184,300 |
| 6 | Kearney County | 6,697 | $79,167 | $218,300 |
| 7 | Seward County | 17,636 | $81,122 | $232,400 |
| 8 | Fillmore County | 5,551 | $76,354 | $131,200 |
| 9 | Hamilton County | 9,438 | $79,884 | $238,700 |
| 10 | Cedar County | 8,344 | $73,977 | $175,500 |
| 11 | Mcpherson County | 463 | $61,316 | $124,200 |
| 12 | Logan County | 812 | $71,650 | $160,000 |
| 13 | Thomas County | 626 | $72,708 | $113,000 |
| 14 | Arthur County | 540 | $67,500 | $188,800 |
| 15 | Butler County | 8,413 | $82,603 | $165,700 |
| 16 | Polk County | 5,209 | $71,771 | $177,800 |
| 17 | Gosper County | 1,929 | $79,145 | $202,700 |
| 18 | Boone County | 5,366 | $71,367 | $164,700 |
| 19 | Howard County | 6,492 | $74,508 | $205,200 |
| 20 | Wheeler County | 785 | $55,893 | $135,900 |
| 21 | Clay County | 6,084 | $75,938 | $146,300 |
| 22 | Cherry County | 5,468 | $63,750 | $136,000 |
| 23 | Pierce County | 7,312 | $75,938 | $182,700 |
| 24 | Otoe County | 16,075 | $81,430 | $185,000 |
| 25 | York County | 14,231 | $74,058 | $175,900 |
| 26 | Garfield County | 1,797 | $68,611 | $144,900 |
| 27 | Merrick County | 7,696 | $62,849 | $168,000 |
| 28 | Perkins County | 2,835 | $67,500 | $149,200 |
| 29 | Valley County | 4,094 | $58,902 | $122,200 |
| 30 | Wayne County | 9,786 | $67,687 | $203,700 |
| 31 | Blaine County | 385 | $61,250 | $102,100 |
| 32 | Webster County | 3,385 | $65,197 | $102,000 |
| 33 | Harlan County | 3,006 | $70,536 | $147,200 |
| 34 | Gage County | 21,646 | $64,426 | $167,100 |
| 35 | Lancaster County | 323,673 | $72,625 | $258,900 |
| 36 | Loup County | 564 | $60,156 | $120,700 |
| 37 | Keya Paha County | 939 | $60,313 | $108,800 |
| 38 | Platte County | 34,358 | $72,335 | $207,800 |
| 39 | Buffalo County | 50,323 | $74,570 | $236,800 |
| 40 | Phelps County | 8,983 | $65,988 | $173,300 |
| 41 | Dundy County | 1,811 | $56,563 | $118,200 |
| 42 | Cuming County | 8,976 | $70,708 | $174,900 |
| 43 | Custer County | 10,544 | $66,310 | $160,500 |
| 44 | Dodge County | 37,146 | $71,294 | $188,100 |
| 45 | Hayes County | 854 | $60,313 | $112,800 |
| 46 | Box Butte County | 10,754 | $68,778 | $161,100 |
| 47 | Jefferson County | 7,155 | $60,568 | $117,600 |
| 48 | Holt County | 10,093 | $67,225 | $152,000 |
| 49 | Johnson County | 5,263 | $59,457 | $131,500 |
| 50 | Adams County | 31,034 | $65,680 | $185,800 |
| 51 | Nuckolls County | 4,089 | $70,201 | $90,900 |
| 52 | Antelope County | 6,302 | $63,750 | $116,900 |
| 53 | Douglas County | 585,461 | $79,081 | $245,800 |
| 54 | Rock County | 1,335 | $57,500 | $124,400 |
| 55 | Chase County | 3,639 | $62,782 | $178,700 |
| 56 | Banner County | 657 | $71,250 | $166,300 |
| 57 | Colfax County | 10,541 | $79,720 | $128,800 |
| 58 | Saline County | 14,642 | $77,027 | $180,700 |
| 59 | Dixon County | 5,561 | $69,156 | $141,400 |
| 60 | Cheyenne County | 9,478 | $57,594 | $129,100 |
| 61 | Lincoln County | 34,122 | $64,342 | $183,100 |
| 62 | Thayer County | 4,938 | $63,095 | $106,200 |
| 63 | Greeley County | 2,211 | $58,894 | $87,800 |
| 64 | Madison County | 35,535 | $64,637 | $196,000 |
| 65 | Red Willow County | 10,611 | $60,000 | $143,500 |
| 66 | Grant County | 695 | $69,063 | $113,900 |
| 67 | Dawes County | 8,212 | $54,381 | $146,500 |
| 68 | Keith County | 8,239 | $58,132 | $157,000 |
| 69 | Sherman County | 2,974 | $61,935 | $135,000 |
| 70 | Dakota County | 21,331 | $71,655 | $168,100 |
| 71 | Boyd County | 1,704 | $58,984 | $104,000 |
| 72 | Frontier County | 2,562 | $68,207 | $138,800 |
| 73 | Brown County | 2,739 | $51,538 | $100,200 |
| 74 | Furnas County | 4,605 | $60,625 | $91,800 |
| 75 | Knox County | 8,362 | $64,821 | $116,900 |
| 76 | Hall County | 62,431 | $67,549 | $207,900 |
| 77 | Nance County | 3,342 | $65,438 | $122,800 |
| 78 | Franklin County | 2,868 | $57,692 | $99,100 |
| 79 | Hitchcock County | 2,601 | $52,016 | $88,800 |
| 80 | Dawson County | 24,020 | $65,383 | $157,800 |
| 81 | Kimball County | 3,348 | $59,438 | $109,900 |
| 82 | Sioux County | 1,197 | $54,076 | $141,700 |
| 83 | Hooker County | 613 | $45,854 | $85,400 |
| 84 | Sheridan County | 5,058 | $56,900 | $102,900 |
| 85 | Burt County | 6,730 | $57,303 | $125,400 |
| 86 | Morrill County | 4,544 | $59,773 | $112,000 |
| 87 | Deuel County | 1,865 | $61,438 | $97,200 |
| 88 | Garden County | 1,620 | $44,777 | $95,500 |
| 89 | Scotts Bluff County | 35,937 | $60,960 | $161,400 |
| 90 | Richardson County | 7,797 | $55,578 | $96,500 |
| 91 | Thurston County | 6,666 | $64,838 | $105,100 |
| 92 | Nemaha County | 7,035 | $60,132 | $125,100 |
| 93 | Pawnee County | 2,539 | $54,926 | $74,800 |