Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Nebraska?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in Nebraska with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 6 cities in the Cornhusker State with over 6,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What city has the highest murder rate in Nebraska? The city with the highest murder rate in Nebraska is Schuyler with 15.3 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Nebraska with highest number of murders? The city in Nebraska with the highest number of murders is Omaha with 19 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Nebraska ranked. There were ‘only’ 6 cities in Nebraska where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 24 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Cornhusker State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Nebraska For 2026
/10
Population: 6,529
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 15.3 (Most)
More on Schuyler: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,272
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.1 (2nd Most)
More on Beatrice: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 13,801
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 7.2 (3rd Most)
More on South Sioux City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 480,235
Murders: 19 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 4.0 (4th Most)
More on Omaha: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 34,525
Murders: 1 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 2.9 (5th Most)
More on Kearney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 295,808
Murders: 8 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 2.7 (6th Most)
More on Lincoln: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Nebraska
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in Nebraska for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 6 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Schuyler. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Nebraska. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Nebraska For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Nebraska with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in Nebraska are Schuyler, Beatrice, South Sioux City, Omaha, Kearney, and Lincoln.
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nebraska
- Fastest Growing Cities In Nebraska
- Safest Places In Nebraska
- Best Cities For Singles In Nebraska
- Worst Places To Live In Nebraska
Murder Rates By City In Nebraska
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schuyler, NE | 6529 | 1 | 15.32 |
| 2 | Beatrice, NE | 12272 | 1 | 8.15 |
| 3 | South Sioux City, NE | 13801 | 1 | 7.25 |
| 4 | Omaha, NE | 480235 | 19 | 3.96 |
| 5 | Kearney, NE | 34525 | 1 | 2.9 |
| 6 | Lincoln, NE | 295808 | 8 | 2.7 |