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You've seen these lists before: Best places to live in Nebraska, Most Beautiful Downtowns, etc., etc. But all of them focus on major cities and towns in the Cornhusker State and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that's all about to change as we put together a list of the best small towns in Nebraska based on numbers--not opinions or hearsay.
We'll dive right into our methodology in the next section; but first, we thought you might just want to know which places in Nebraska ranked the based--you know, based on science.
Before we get to the top 15, here's a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in Nebraska for 2022.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In Nebraska For 2022
What's the best small town in Nebraska? Hickman is the best small town in Nebraska based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Hickman, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you--keep reading and we'll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Cornhusker State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Nebraska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
- Most Dangerous Cities In Nebraska
The 15 Best Small Towns In Nebraska For 2022
/10
Population: 2,432
Median Income: $100,250 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $216,800 (3rd Best)
More on Hickman: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,088
Median Income: $83,125 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $180,400 (5th Best)
More on Bennet: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,941
Median Income: $81,818 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $207,400 (4th Best)
More on Waverly: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,520
Median Income: $62,689 (29th Best)
Median Home Value: $157,800 (12th Best)
More on Wahoo: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,523
Median Income: $65,538 (23rd Best)
Median Home Value: $157,600 (13th Best)
More on Aurora: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,425
Median Income: $80,650 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $161,000 (10th Best)
More on Louisville: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,043
Median Income: $60,058 (39th Best)
Median Home Value: $141,900 (23rd Best)
More on Syracuse: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,075
Median Income: $92,738 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $235,600 (2nd Best)
More on Bennington: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
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Population: 1,582
Median Income: $75,379 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $170,100 (8th Best)
More on Springfield: Data | Homes For Sale
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Population: 1,955
Median Income: $72,273 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $100,600 (55th Best)
More on Geneva: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,973
Median Income: $51,926 (53rd Best)
Median Home Value: $116,300 (38th Best)
More on Pierce: Data | Homes For Sale
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Population: 2,086
Median Income: $67,454 (19th Best)
Median Home Value: $131,700 (29th Best)
More on Wilber: Data | Homes For Sale
13. Utica
Population: 1,069
Median Income: $62,438 (30th Best)
Median Home Value: $148,100 (17th Best)
More on Utica: | Homes For Sale
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Population: 1,216
Median Income: $73,750 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $101,800 (53rd Best)
More on Pender: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,343
Median Income: $81,154 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $144,600 (20th Best)
More on Ceresco: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Nebraska
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent data from the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which, there were a lot - 90 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 90, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Nebraska. Top of that list -- Hickman. You can download the data here.
Keep reading to find out more about our top 15 best small towns in Nebraska.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once and we'll say it again -- this list: it's just science. We did the research, we crunched the numbers, and it turns out, these 15 small towns in Nebraska are the best, in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
If you're curious, here are the worst small towns in Nebraska:
- Wymore
- Kimball
- Plainview
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nebraska
- Safest Places In Nebraska
- Worst Places To Live In Nebraska