A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Elba$620/mo

Typical home $98K (Census) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $918/mo · Housing →

Maxwell$1,870/mo

Typical home $285K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.56% · or rent about $836/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,250 a month, about $14,900 a year, between Maxwell and Elba.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Nebraska ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

D−ElbaBetter than 2% of districts in the state DMaxwellBetter than 11% of districts in the state

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

ElbaMaxwell

Snow a year22″30″

January low—12°F

July high—90°F

Growing season (days)—142d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th 69th

Outdoors & history

ElbaMaxwell

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled—1894

Archive photos—24

Community

ElbaMaxwell

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

103 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ElbaNE MaxwellNE

Elba ↔ Maxwell103 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Nebraska average

ElbaMaxwell

People

Population 171Lowest 174Highest

Median age 45.3±2.3 22% above NE 45.3±11.5 22% above NE

Kids under 18 15.8%±7.1Lowest NE: 24.5% 17.8%±7.4Highest NE: 24.5%

Maxwell and Elba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 18.7%±11.6Highest NE: 16.7% 12.1%±10.4Lowest NE: 16.7%

Elba and Maxwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.1%Highest NE: 34.6% 6.4%Lowest NE: 34.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±2.5Lowest NE: 6.6% 14.9%±21.8Highest NE: 6.6%

Maxwell and Elba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $36,250±$20kLowest 53% below NE $87,500±$33kHighest 14% above NE

Maxwell and Elba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $98,300±$45kHighest 59% below NE $91,300±$25kLowest 62% below NE

Elba and Maxwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $918±$249Highest 14% below NE $836±$161Lowest 22% below NE

Elba and Maxwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,250Lowest 65% below NE $1,425Highest 60% below NE

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59%±57Highest NE: 45.1% 13.3%±95.4Lowest NE: 45.1%

Elba and Maxwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 10.7%Highest NE: 10.6% 4.6%Lowest NE: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.5%Lowest NE: 66.5% 70.3%Highest NE: 66.5%

Typical home builtmedian year 1949Highest 26 yrs older than NE 1945Lowest 30 yrs older than NE

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 22% above NE 18 minLowest 7% below NE

Work from home 2.6%±3.2Highest NE: 11% 0%±9.6Lowest NE: 11%

Elba and Maxwell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 1.1%Lowest 3.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.3 miHighest 14.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Highest 0.57Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Grand Island (31%)North Platte (41%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MaxwellFew work in Elba

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 102Highest 62.9Lowest

Schools

School district ELBA PUBLIC SCHOOLSMAXWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

High school in town Elba Secondary SchoolMaxwell High School

Students per teacherat that high school 7.9Lowest 10.2Highest

Nebraska average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Elba neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elba’s Town Square.

Maxwell neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Maxwell’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Elba

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Odell211 people · $107K homes

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Skull Creek Township161 people · $119K homes

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Anderson Township90 people

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Swanton93 people · $113K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Elba vs Maxwell

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $1,250 more a month in Maxwell

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

103 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Elba and Maxwell

Towns like Elba

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