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 counties 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 using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Nebraska For 2024
Stanton County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Nebraska. And you should avoid Nemaha County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Nebraska. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Nebraska and the cheapest places to live in Nebraska.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Nebraska For 2024
1. Stanton County
Biggest Place: Stanton
Population: 5,828
Median Income: $76,035 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $230,318 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7% (13th best)
More on Stanton County: Data
2. Sarpy County
Biggest Place: Bellevue
Population: 191,272
Median Income: $95,911 (best)
Median Home Price: $324,697 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (58th best)
More on Sarpy County: Data
3. Saunders County
Biggest Place: Wahoo
Population: 22,374
Median Income: $84,474 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $320,935 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (54th best)
More on Saunders County: Data
4. Washington County
Biggest Place: Blair
Population: 20,884
Median Income: $89,671 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $361,894 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (40th best)
More on Washington County: Data
5. Seward County
Biggest Place: Seward
Population: 17,644
Median Income: $79,677 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $274,470 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (5best)
More on Seward County: Data
6. Arthur County
Biggest Place: Arthur
Population: 485
Median Income: $66,667 (3best)
Median Home Price: $199,759 (36th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.4% (7th best)
More on Arthur County: Data
7. Mcpherson County
Biggest Place: Tryon
Population: 456
Median Income: $58,250 (70th best)
Median Home Price: $272,758 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (best)
More on Mcpherson County: Data
8. Cass County
Biggest Place: Plattsmouth
Population: 26,749
Median Income: $87,673 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $294,549 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (49th best)
More on Cass County: Data
9. Hamilton County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 9,400
Median Income: $73,254 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $253,072 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (79th best)
More on Hamilton County: Data
10. Boone County
Biggest Place: Albion
Population: 5,397
Median Income: $66,800 (29th best)
Median Home Price: $226,311 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0% (18th 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 made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent 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, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Cornhusker State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Nebraska.
Read on to see why Stanton County is the best county, while Nemaha County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Nebraska.
Summary: The Best Counties In Nebraska To Call Home For 2024
Living in Nebraska can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Nebraska are Stanton County, Sarpy County, Saunders County, Washington County, Seward County, Arthur County, McPherson County, Cass County, Hamilton County, and Boone County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Nebraska according to the data:
- Nemaha County
- Thurston County
- Pawnee County
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
- Best Places To Buy A House In Nebraska
- Richest Cities In Nebraska
- Best Places To Retire In Nebraska
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Nebraska
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanton County | 5,828 | $76,035 | $230,318 |
| 2 | Sarpy County | 191,272 | $95,911 | $324,697 |
| 3 | Saunders County | 22,374 | $84,474 | $320,935 |
| 4 | Washington County | 20,884 | $89,671 | $361,894 |
| 5 | Seward County | 17,644 | $79,677 | $274,470 |
| 6 | Arthur County | 485 | $66,667 | $199,759 |
| 7 | Mcpherson County | 456 | $58,250 | $272,758 |
| 8 | Cass County | 26,749 | $87,673 | $294,549 |
| 9 | Hamilton County | 9,400 | $73,254 | $253,072 |
| 10 | Boone County | 5,397 | $66,800 | $226,311 |
| 11 | Keya Paha County | 987 | $63,977 | $210,696 |
| 12 | Cedar County | 8,375 | $72,035 | $198,160 |
| 13 | Fillmore County | 5,557 | $72,335 | $153,245 |
| 14 | Kearney County | 6,655 | $74,276 | $223,237 |
| 15 | Logan County | 839 | $69,250 | $228,911 |
| 16 | Butler County | 8,373 | $75,690 | $199,196 |
| 17 | Loup County | 629 | $50,000 | $277,040 |
| 18 | Howard County | 6,476 | $70,766 | $252,951 |
| 19 | Gosper County | 1,873 | $76,583 | $295,241 |
| 20 | Garfield County | 1,833 | $64,957 | $201,729 |
| 21 | Thomas County | 592 | $70,069 | $136,730 |
| 22 | York County | 14,212 | $72,914 | $202,377 |
| 23 | Pierce County | 7,301 | $65,603 | $213,176 |
| 24 | Cherry County | 5,473 | $62,373 | $183,938 |
| 25 | Banner County | 670 | $62,375 | $328,306 |
| 26 | Holt County | 10,149 | $66,325 | $155,855 |
| 27 | Webster County | 3,410 | $62,571 | $115,213 |
| 28 | Johnson County | 5,294 | $64,352 | $169,683 |
| 29 | Polk County | 5,182 | $67,695 | $190,183 |
| 30 | Hayes County | 919 | $59,405 | $254,073 |
| 31 | Cuming County | 9,000 | $68,917 | $222,056 |
| 32 | Lancaster County | 322,063 | $70,387 | $276,112 |
| 33 | Clay County | 6,088 | $73,933 | $145,579 |
| 34 | Valley County | 4,053 | $62,321 | $165,279 |
| 35 | Otoe County | 15,995 | $73,031 | $210,103 |
| 36 | Platte County | 34,219 | $69,943 | $254,480 |
| 37 | Wayne County | 9,701 | $64,951 | $214,186 |
| 38 | Wheeler County | 771 | $59,167 | $227,690 |
| 39 | Perkins County | 2,860 | $61,786 | $174,322 |
| 40 | Buffalo County | 50,103 | $70,093 | $271,381 |
| 41 | Phelps County | 8,966 | $65,114 | $184,828 |
| 42 | Dundy County | 1,825 | $58,977 | $117,627 |
| 43 | Harlan County | 3,094 | $64,583 | $145,640 |
| 44 | Custer County | 10,566 | $62,288 | $162,416 |
| 45 | Antelope County | 6,302 | $61,924 | $171,543 |
| 46 | Merrick County | 7,675 | $57,873 | $199,845 |
| 47 | Rock County | 1,312 | $57,566 | $106,716 |
| 48 | Nuckolls County | 4,092 | $66,000 | $93,031 |
| 49 | Lincoln County | 34,532 | $63,019 | $192,373 |
| 50 | Douglas County | 582,638 | $76,083 | $267,515 |
| 51 | Dodge County | 37,175 | $66,793 | $218,216 |
| 52 | Brown County | 2,691 | $44,267 | $122,809 |
| 53 | Gage County | 21,654 | $60,035 | $170,500 |
| 54 | Greeley County | 2,212 | $52,813 | $154,394 |
| 55 | Colfax County | 10,563 | $71,205 | $188,358 |
| 56 | Adams County | 31,143 | $61,502 | $186,998 |
| 57 | Dawes County | 8,279 | $53,760 | $169,356 |
| 58 | Madison County | 35,538 | $61,139 | $221,946 |
| 59 | Keith County | 8,303 | $59,511 | $208,638 |
| 60 | Saline County | 14,275 | $71,104 | $192,586 |
| 61 | Dakota County | 21,308 | $66,112 | $210,838 |
| 62 | Boyd County | 1,767 | $57,120 | $96,236 |
| 63 | Cheyenne County | 9,489 | $54,038 | $148,217 |
| 64 | Thayer County | 5,006 | $60,305 | $121,229 |
| 65 | Grant County | 649 | $65,139 | $122,919 |
| 66 | Furnas County | 4,630 | $58,895 | $107,011 |
| 67 | Dixon County | 5,579 | $60,568 | $169,970 |
| 68 | Sioux County | 1,162 | $50,833 | $266,252 |
| 69 | Jefferson County | 7,185 | $54,494 | $119,654 |
| 70 | Chase County | 3,704 | $57,313 | $189,926 |
| 71 | Knox County | 8,415 | $61,250 | $150,396 |
| 72 | Box Butte County | 10,778 | $67,893 | $153,992 |
| 73 | Nance County | 3,366 | $60,054 | $162,562 |
| 74 | Dawson County | 24,037 | $67,462 | $178,540 |
| 75 | Hitchcock County | 2,620 | $49,456 | $115,785 |
| 76 | Hall County | 62,575 | $63,553 | $231,108 |
| 77 | Frontier County | 2,491 | $62,928 | $174,071 |
| 78 | Morrill County | 4,562 | $57,325 | $136,485 |
| 79 | Red Willow County | 10,690 | $58,344 | $164,411 |
| 80 | Sherman County | 2,970 | $60,194 | $168,779 |
| 81 | Franklin County | 2,901 | $55,625 | $105,381 |
| 82 | Hooker County | 659 | $43,333 | $91,718 |
| 83 | Blaine County | 384 | $52,083 | $104,196 |
| 84 | Garden County | 1,778 | $47,139 | $133,947 |
| 85 | Deuel County | 1,858 | $58,875 | $133,926 |
| 86 | Scotts Bluff County | 36,048 | $60,137 | $173,398 |
| 87 | Sheridan County | 5,102 | $53,609 | $120,095 |
| 88 | Kimball County | 3,395 | $53,151 | $145,193 |
| 89 | Burt County | 6,717 | $54,950 | $158,322 |
| 90 | Richardson County | 7,850 | $50,321 | $98,947 |
| 91 | Pawnee County | 2,553 | $55,833 | $124,593 |
| 92 | Thurston County | 6,716 | $63,459 | $147,099 |
| 93 | Nemaha County | 7,019 | $57,196 | $145,774 |