The 10 Best Counties To Live In Nebraska For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which counties in Nebraska have the most for people looking to make the move to Nebraska.

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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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.

So, 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.

After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Cornhusker State for 2022.

Gosper County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Nebraska. And you might want to avoid Pawnee County if you can — at least according to the data.

So if you’re thinking of making the move Nebraska, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.

Or, check out the best places to live in Nebraska and the cheapest places to live in Nebraska.

The Best Counties To Live In Nebraska For 2022

1. Gosper County

Biggest Place: Elwood

Population: 2,001
Median Income: $65,086.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $165,500.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (24th best)
More on Gosper County: Data

2. Banner County

Biggest Place: Harrisburg

Population: 645
Median Income: $53,864.0 (48th best)
Median Home Price: $172,900.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (26th best)
More on Banner County: Data

3. Washington County

Blair, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Blair

Population: 20,546
Median Income: $71,505.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $204,900.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (53rd best)
More on Washington County: Photos | Data

4. Hamilton County

Aurora, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Aurora

Population: 9,219
Median Income: $68,649.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $163,900.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (64th best)
More on Hamilton County: Photos | Data

5. Seward County

Milford, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Seward

Population: 17,217
Median Income: $71,111.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $172,900.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (5best)
More on Seward County: Photos | Data

6. Saunders County

Ashland, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Wahoo

Population: 21,356
Median Income: $70,414.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $171,600.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (42nd best)
More on Saunders County: Photos | Data

7. Holt County

O'Neill, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: O’Neill

Population: 10,123
Median Income: $60,214.0 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $126,000.0 (35th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1% (19th best)
More on Holt County: Photos | Data

8. Sarpy County

Bellevue, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Bellevue

Population: 183,956
Median Income: $83,051.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $211,400.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (63rd best)
More on Sarpy County: Photos | Data

9. Cass County

Plattsmouth, NE

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Plattsmouth

Population: 26,022
Median Income: $73,683.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $195,500.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (58th best)
More on Cass County: Photos | Data

10. Boone County

Biggest Place: Albion

Population: 5,228
Median Income: $60,094.0 (24th best)
Median Home Price: $131,700.0 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (25th best)
More on Boone County: Data

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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.

With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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
Safest Places In Nebraska

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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Cornhusker State.

Read on to see why Gosper 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 2018

It turns out living in Nebraska can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?

But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.

Here’s a look at the worst counties in Nebraska according to the data:

  1. Pawnee County
  2. Kimball County
  3. Thurston County

For more Nebraska reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Nebraska

County Rank Population Median Income Median Home Price
Gosper County 1 2,001 $65,086.0 $165,500.0
Banner County 2 645 $53,864.0 $172,900.0
Washington County 3 20,546 $71,505.0 $204,900.0
Hamilton County 4 9,219 $68,649.0 $163,900.0
Seward County 5 17,217 $71,111.0 $172,900.0
Saunders County 6 21,356 $70,414.0 $171,600.0
Holt County 7 10,123 $60,214.0 $126,000.0
Sarpy County 8 183,956 $83,051.0 $211,400.0
Cass County 9 26,022 $73,683.0 $195,500.0
Boone County 10 5,228 $60,094.0 $131,700.0
Howard County 11 6,428 $59,432.0 $155,300.0
Stanton County 12 5,946 $64,808.0 $129,200.0
Kearney County 13 6,588 $62,899.0 $162,200.0
Cherry County 14 5,801 $55,431.0 $124,900.0
Fillmore County 15 5,542 $62,151.0 $89,200.0
Garfield County 16 2,081 $54,659.0 $106,000.0
Phelps County 17 9,050 $58,105.0 $139,900.0
Cedar County 18 8,483 $64,703.0 $121,800.0
York County 19 13,671 $63,105.0 $135,600.0
Butler County 20 7,997 $59,232.0 $127,200.0
Thomas County 21 586 $59,000.0 $120,000.0
Keya Paha County 22 875 $55,250.0 $65,000.0
Wayne County 23 9,388 $58,894.0 $144,100.0
Perkins County 24 2,889 $61,389.0 $118,400.0
Cuming County 25 8,882 $59,202.0 $129,100.0
Pierce County 26 7,132 $57,629.0 $134,500.0
Custer County 27 10,788 $53,891.0 $116,900.0
Lincoln County 28 35,042 $59,995.0 $153,200.0
Buffalo County 29 49,594 $63,513.0 $185,300.0
Loup County 30 690 $46,111.0 $82,200.0
Platte County 31 33,250 $60,878.0 $159,500.0
Otoe County 32 15,965 $64,755.0 $145,100.0
Valley County 33 4,100 $56,205.0 $110,500.0
Douglas County 34 565,739 $66,600.0 $180,000.0
Rock County 35 1,430 $51,458.0 $92,100.0
Lancaster County 36 315,976 $62,464.0 $190,000.0
Cheyenne County 37 9,428 $52,270.0 $98,700.0
Clay County 38 6,193 $63,686.0 $102,500.0
Blaine County 39 467 $55,268.0 $77,700.0
Colfax County 40 10,681 $64,269.0 $92,900.0
Harlan County 41 3,380 $51,534.0 $113,900.0
Gage County 42 21,548 $51,812.0 $124,100.0
Boyd County 43 1,882 $53,846.0 $85,000.0
Logan County 44 896 $45,990.0 $107,900.0
Arthur County 45 439 $48,500.0 $129,200.0
Adams County 46 31,541 $56,007.0 $137,700.0
Thayer County 47 5,000 $53,234.0 $69,900.0
Madison County 48 35,023 $52,334.0 $155,200.0
Webster County 49 3,497 $51,684.0 $74,600.0
Frontier County 50 2,636 $59,250.0 $111,100.0
Mcpherson County 51 420 $51,932.0 $78,900.0
Merrick County 52 7,826 $52,254.0 $119,900.0
Nuckolls County 53 4,204 $52,975.0 $73,900.0
Dixon County 54 5,682 $57,243.0 $100,000.0
Hall County 55 61,338 $58,595.0 $153,800.0
Chase County 56 3,707 $56,135.0 $139,200.0
Wheeler County 57 689 $48,438.0 $96,900.0
Brown County 58 2,887 $41,979.0 $85,100.0
Furnas County 59 4,712 $53,533.0 $73,700.0
Knox County 60 8,400 $53,653.0 $92,300.0
Sioux County 61 1,298 $47,422.0 $108,800.0
Johnson County 62 5,118 $49,382.0 $104,700.0
Antelope County 63 6,315 $52,569.0 $82,100.0
Dawson County 64 23,638 $56,731.0 $113,700.0
Keith County 65 8,048 $52,169.0 $135,000.0
Burt County 66 6,503 $51,961.0 $104,900.0
Hayes County 67 889 $52,396.0 $81,000.0
Saline County 68 14,221 $52,956.0 $120,800.0
Scotts Bluff County 69 35,884 $53,433.0 $130,400.0
Jefferson County 70 7,102 $48,981.0 $98,600.0
Box Butte County 71 10,845 $61,904.0 $129,200.0
Dodge County 72 36,565 $58,439.0 $137,100.0
Greeley County 73 2,361 $46,830.0 $74,200.0
Dawes County 74 8,685 $49,379.0 $125,200.0
Nance County 75 3,525 $53,147.0 $78,400.0
Sherman County 76 3,015 $53,158.0 $91,000.0
Franklin County 77 2,970 $50,231.0 $77,100.0
Polk County 78 5,208 $59,837.0 $117,600.0
Red Willow County 79 10,725 $48,140.0 $113,600.0
Garden County 80 1,916 $42,076.0 $77,100.0
Sheridan County 81 5,215 $45,543.0 $78,200.0
Hooker County 82 741 $48,654.0 $94,000.0
Dakota County 83 20,124 $61,227.0 $131,400.0
Dundy County 84 1,928 $49,211.0 $76,900.0
Morrill County 85 4,711 $46,903.0 $103,200.0
Grant County 86 691 $43,625.0 $72,500.0
Deuel County 87 1,770 $48,958.0 $89,800.0
Hitchcock County 88 2,788 $46,000.0 $75,900.0
Nemaha County 89 6,978 $50,236.0 $97,200.0
Richardson County 90 7,913 $44,524.0 $73,700.0
Thurston County 91 7,218 $55,574.0 $77,700.0
Kimball County 92 3,576 $48,056.0 $80,500.0
Pawnee County 93 2,640 $46,063.0 $71,400.0
Download The Entire Nebraska Ranking Data
Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best counties to live in Nebraska.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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