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McCool Junction vs Crofton

137 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+86% in McCool Junction) and kids under 18 (+17.6 pts in Crofton).

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McCool Junction, NEA small town of 718Nebraska · 718 people
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Crofton, NEKnown for its schoolsNebraska · 902 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

McCool JunctionA small town of 718
Quiet strengthsMcCool Junction doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about McCool Junction →
CroftonKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 85%of NE districts Housing$331K typical home18% above the NE typical home All about Crofton →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Rent+86%
Rent runs higher in McCool Junction
McCool Junction $910Crofton $488
Kids under 18+17.6 pts
Crofton has more kids
Crofton 31.4%McCool Junction 13.8%
Property tax bill+44%
Tax bills are bigger in McCool Junction
McCool Junction $1,899Crofton $1,317
Typical home built28 yrs
McCool Junction’s homes are older
Crofton 1966McCool Junction 1938
Age 65++7 pts
Crofton has more people 65 and up
Crofton 14.5%McCool Junction 7.5%
★ What stands out · 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
C+McCool JunctionBetter than 39% of districts in the state ACroftonBetter than 85% of districts in the state
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $400 more a month in Crofton

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.

McCool Junction$1,620/mo
Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $910/mo · Housing →
Crofton$2,030/mo
Typical home $331K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.05% · or rent about $488/mo · Housing →

The difference: $400 a month, about $4,800 a year, between Crofton and McCool Junction.

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.

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
McCool JunctionCrofton
Snow a year28″38″
January low—10°F
July high—85°F
Growing season (days)—160d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th58th
Outdoors & history
McCool JunctionCrofton
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled18861892
National Register places—2
Archive photos7—
Famous people born here—2
Community
McCool JunctionCrofton
Library hours a week—20 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

137 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

McCool JunctionNECroftonNE
McCool Junction ↔ Crofton137 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.

McCool JunctionCrofton
People
Population 718Lowest 902Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +4.1% NE: +7.4%
Median age 25.8±5Lowest 31% below NE 31.6±4Highest 15% below NE
Crofton and McCool Junction are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.8%±3.5Lowest NE: 24.5% 31.4%±4.3Highest NE: 24.5%
Age 65+ 7.5%±2.9Lowest NE: 16.7% 14.5%±2.1Highest NE: 16.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.3%Highest NE: 34.6% 18.5%Lowest NE: 34.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±2.4Lowest NE: 6.6% 8.3%±3.5Highest NE: 6.6%
Crofton and McCool Junction are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $118,438±$21kHighest 55% above NE $94,583±$13kLowest 24% above NE
McCool Junction and Crofton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $149,500±$59kHighest 37% below NE $125,500±$31kLowest 47% below NE
McCool Junction and Crofton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $910±$187Highest 15% below NE $488±$116Lowest 54% below NE
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,899Highest 46% below NE $1,317Lowest 63% below NE
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 3%±53.8Lowest NE: 45.1% 36.8%±56.2Highest NE: 45.1%
Crofton and McCool Junction are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 3.3%Lowest NE: 10.6% 8.8%Highest NE: 10.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 88.2%Lowest NE: 66.5% 92.9%Highest NE: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 37 yrs older than NE 1966Highest 9 yrs older than NE
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minHighest about the NE average 16 minLowest 18% below NE
Work from home 1.5%±1.8Lowest NE: 11% 9.8%±7.4Highest NE: 11%
Crofton and McCool Junction are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.6%Lowest 5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miLowest 19.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.67Highest 0.49Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town York (19%)Yankton (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CroftonFew work in McCool Junction
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 92.2Highest 74.4Lowest
Schools
School district MC COOL JUNCTION PUBLIC SCHSCROFTON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
High school in town McCool Junction Jr.-Sr. High SCHCrofton High School
Students per teacherat that high school 10.0Highest 9.7Lowest
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.

McCool Junction neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McCool Junction’s Town Square.

Crofton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Crofton’s Town Square.

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Towns like McCool Junction

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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.

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