Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011)

This article, the forty-fifth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Nebraska based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, "places" are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.

Among the ten best places to live in Nebraska, six are suburbs of Omaha, three comprise Lincoln and its suburbs, and one is a county seat. By county, four of the ten best places to live in Nebraska are located in Sarpy County, two in Lancaster County, and one each in Buffalo, Douglas, Seward, and Washington counties.

After reading "Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011)," return to this link to read "Largest Cities in Nebraska." A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read "Best Places to Live in America (2011)."

1. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Gretna, NE (Sarpy County)

Population: 6,186

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $76,445
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 45.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.31*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 35 miles SW
Omaha, NE: 18 miles NE

2. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Papillion, NE (Sarpy County)

Population: 23,608

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $78,658
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 37.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.01

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 46 miles SW
Omaha, NE: 9 miles NNE

3. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Waverly, NE (Lancaster County)

Population: 3,025

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $87,505
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 28.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.9*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 12 miles SW
Omaha, NE: 40 miles NE

4. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Seward, NE (Seward County)

Population: 6,772

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $61,157
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.16

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 27 miles ESE
Omaha, NE: 74 miles NE

5. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Blair, NE (Washington County)

Population: 7,753

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $61,934
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.56

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 74 miles SSW
Omaha, NE: 25 miles SSE

6. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Kearney, NE (Buffalo County)

Population: 30,360

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $54,752
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 36.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.01

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 132 miles E
Omaha, NE: 183 miles ENE

7. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - La Vista, NE (Sarpy County)

Population: 16,295

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $58,092
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 27.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.99

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 55 miles SW
Omaha, NE: 6 miles NNE

8. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Lincoln, NE (Lancaster County)

Population: 254,008

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $52,100
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 35.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.51

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Omaha, NE: 57 miles NE

9. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Ralston, NE (Douglas County)

Population: 6,127

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $56,770
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 27.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.43

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 48 miles SW
Omaha, NE: 6 miles NNE

10. Best Places to Live in Nebraska (2011) - Bellevue, NE (Sarpy County)

Population: 49,704

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $56,542
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 24.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.04

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Lincoln, NE: 63 miles SW
Omaha, NE: 9 miles NNW

More Articles from J.C. Grant

"Average ACT Scores by State (2010)"
"Average SAT Scores by State (2010)"
"Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)"
"Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America - Murder Rates"
"State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School"
"State Education Rankings: SAT Scores"

Source(s):

"All Cities in Nebraska," City-Data.com
"2009 ACS 1-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"Uniform Crime Report," Federal Bureau of Investigation