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.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Nebraska 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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:
- Pawnee County
- Kimball County
- Thurston County
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Nebraska
- Best Places To Buy A House In Nebraska
- Best Places To Retire In Nebraska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska