Is being in an area of Nebraska that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Omaha and Lincoln, while others want peace and quiet like in Chadron and Holdrege, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Nebraska have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Cornhusker State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the fastest growing city in Nebraska for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Gretna ranks as the fastest-growing city in Nebraska. If you happen to be a resident of Gretna, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Nebraska grow like weeds.
For more Nebraska state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Nebraska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
- Most Dangerous Cities In Nebraska
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Nebraska For 2025
1. Gretna
/10
Population: 9,117
Population 2010: 4,164
Percent Growth 118.9%
Absolute Growth: 4,953
More on Gretna: Data
2. Bellevue
/10
Population: 64,355
Population 2010: 50,241
Percent Growth 28.1%
Absolute Growth: 14,114
More on Bellevue: Data
3. Papillion
/10
Population: 24,063
Population 2010: 18,829
Percent Growth 27.8%
Absolute Growth: 5,234
More on Papillion: Data
4. Omaha
/10
Population: 488,197
Population 2010: 407,334
Percent Growth 19.9%
Absolute Growth: 80,863
More on Omaha: Data
5. Lincoln
/10
Population: 291,932
Population 2010: 253,035
Percent Growth 15.4%
Absolute Growth: 38,897
More on Lincoln: Data
6. Kearney
/10
Population: 34,024
Population 2010: 30,214
Percent Growth 12.6%
Absolute Growth: 3,810
More on Kearney: Data
7. Grand Island
/10
Population: 52,761
Population 2010: 46,975
Percent Growth 12.3%
Absolute Growth: 5,786
More on Grand Island: Data
8. Seward
/10
Population: 7,665
Population 2010: 6,846
Percent Growth 12.0%
Absolute Growth: 819
More on Seward: Data
9. Columbus
/10
Population: 24,188
Population 2010: 21,640
Percent Growth 11.8%
Absolute Growth: 2,548
More on Columbus: Data
10. Crete
/10
Population: 7,521
Population 2010: 6,801
Percent Growth 10.6%
Absolute Growth: 720
More on Crete: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Cornhusker State for 2025
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2023)
We ranked all 32 Nebraska cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Cornhusker State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Nebraska.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Nebraska with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Nebraska, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Nebraska are led by Gretna which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Nebraska are Gretna, Bellevue, Papillion, Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, Seward, Columbus, and Crete.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Chadron
- North Platte
- Sidney
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nebraska
- Safest Places In Nebraska
- Worst Places To Live In Nebraska
Fastest Growing Places In Nebraska For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gretna | 9,117 | 4,164 | 118.9% | 4,953 |
| 2 | Bellevue | 64,355 | 50,241 | 28.1% | 14,114 |
| 3 | Papillion | 24,063 | 18,829 | 27.8% | 5,234 |
| 4 | Omaha | 488,197 | 407,334 | 19.9% | 80,863 |
| 5 | Lincoln | 291,932 | 253,035 | 15.4% | 38,897 |
| 6 | Kearney | 34,024 | 30,214 | 12.6% | 3,810 |
| 7 | Grand Island | 52,761 | 46,975 | 12.3% | 5,786 |
| 8 | Seward | 7,665 | 6,846 | 12.0% | 819 |
| 9 | Columbus | 24,188 | 21,640 | 11.8% | 2,548 |
| 10 | Crete | 7,521 | 6,801 | 10.6% | 720 |