Nebraska may not immediately come to mind when you’re thinking of places to retire, but there are pockets of greatness.
If you’ve just punched your last time card and are looking to retire somewhere in the Cornhusker State, read on. We’ve done the research to determine which places in Nebraska have the most going on for retirees.
Just where are these great places for retirees? 40% of them are out in the Nebraska Panhandle, with some being closer to Denver than any big Nebraska cities. If you’d rather be close to the action, Blair is the best Omaha suburb for retirees, while Beatrice takes the a ten finish for Lincoln suburbs.
Whether you’re looking for a change of pace and scenery by retiring in Nebraska, read on to learn which places are the best for retirees.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What is the best place to retire in Nebraska? According to the data, Beatrice is the best place to retire in Nebraska for 2024.
You can’t go wrong if you retire in any of these Nebraska cities. A good number of the cities on this list were also among the best places to live in Nebraska, so you know that they’re all-around good places for folks of all stages of life.
Why did Beatrice take the top spot? And where are Omaha and Lincoln?
For more Nebraska state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Nebraska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nebraska
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Nebraska For 2024
/10
Population: 12,237
Median Income: $49,537
Median Home Price: $157,701
Median Rent: $686
Distance to Closest Airport: 127 miles
More on Beatrice: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,494
Median Income: $58,375
Median Home Price: $159,861
Median Rent: $724
Distance to Closest Airport: 259 miles
More on Holdrege: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,101
Median Income: $68,794
Median Home Price: $196,159
Median Rent: $836
Distance to Closest Airport: 186 miles
More on York: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,582
Median Income: $65,743
Median Home Price: $182,745
Median Rent: $845
Distance to Closest Airport: 145 miles
More on Gering: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,813
Median Income: $74,058
Median Home Price: $322,377
Median Rent: $932
Distance to Closest Airport: 127 miles
More on Blair: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,973
Median Income: $51,399
Median Home Price: $202,182
Median Rent: $766
Distance to Closest Airport: 179 miles
More on Wayne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,407
Median Income: $49,866
Median Home Price: $146,360
Median Rent: $852
Distance to Closest Airport: 125 miles
More on Sidney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,255
Median Income: $53,728
Median Home Price: $177,823
Median Rent: $832
Distance to Closest Airport: 175 miles
More on Chadron: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,093
Median Income: $62,468
Median Home Price: $220,582
Median Rent: $791
Distance to Closest Airport: 150 miles
More on Crete: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,585
Median Income: $58,989
Median Home Price: $284,852
Median Rent: $965
Distance to Closest Airport: 121 miles
More on Plattsmouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Cornhusker State for 2024
To create our ranking of the best places in Nebraska to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Cornhusker State — 573 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 5,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 29 places from across the state.
For these 29, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 29, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Beatrice, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Nebraska.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Nebraska Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Nebraska goes to Beatrice.
The best places to retire in Nebraska are Beatrice, Holdrege, York, Gering, Blair, Wayne, Sidney, Chadron, Crete, and Plattsmouth.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Grand Island
- Lexington
- Lincoln
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Nebraska
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beatrice | 12,237 | $49,537 | $157,701 | $686 |
| 2 | Holdrege | 5,494 | $58,375 | $159,861 | $724 |
| 3 | York | 8,101 | $68,794 | $196,159 | $836 |
| 4 | Gering | 8,582 | $65,743 | $182,745 | $845 |
| 5 | Blair | 7,813 | $74,058 | $322,377 | $932 |
| 6 | Wayne | 5,973 | $51,399 | $202,182 | $766 |
| 7 | Sidney | 6,407 | $49,866 | $146,360 | $852 |
| 8 | Chadron | 5,255 | $53,728 | $177,823 | $832 |
| 9 | Crete | 7,093 | $62,468 | $220,582 | $791 |
| 10 | Plattsmouth | 6,585 | $58,989 | $284,852 | $965 |