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McCool Junction vs Palmyra

63 miles apart. The biggest differences: kids under 18 (+14.7 pts in Palmyra) and household income (+39% in McCool Junction).

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McCool Junction, NEA small town of 718Nebraska · 718 people

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Palmyra, NEHomes around $347KNebraska · 589 people

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 →

PalmyraHomes around $347K

Housing$347K typical home24% above the NE typical home SchoolsBetter than 67%of NE districts All about Palmyra →

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Kids under 18+14.7 pts

Palmyra has more kids

Palmyra 28.5%McCool Junction 13.8%

Household income+39%

Households in McCool Junction earn more

McCool Junction $118,438Palmyra $85,139

Work from home+13 pts

More people work from home in Palmyra

Palmyra 14.5%McCool Junction 1.5%

Typical home built34 yrs

McCool Junction’s homes are older

Palmyra 1972McCool Junction 1938

Average commute11 min

McCool Junction has the shorter commute

Palmyra 30 minMcCool Junction 19 min

Street grid+93%

Palmyra has the more walkable street grid

Palmyra 178McCool Junction 92.2

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $580 more a month in Palmyra

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%

McCool Junction$1,620/mo

Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $910/mo · Housing →

Palmyra$2,210/mo

Typical home $347K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.33% · or rent about $1,188/mo · Housing →

The difference: $580 a month, about $7,000 a year, between Palmyra 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.

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 B+PalmyraBetter than 67% 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

McCool JunctionPalmyra

Snow a year28″26″

January low—13°F

July high—88°F

Growing season (days)—168d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th 64th

Outdoors & history

McCool JunctionPalmyra

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Settled1886 1870

Archive photos7 4

Famous people born here—1

Community

McCool JunctionPalmyra

Library hours a week—18 hrs

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

63 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

McCool JunctionNE PalmyraNE

McCool Junction ↔ Palmyra63 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

McCool JunctionPalmyra

People

Population 718Highest 589Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -2% NE: +7.4%

Median age 25.8±5Lowest 31% below NE 30.7±2.8Highest 17% below NE

Palmyra 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% 28.5%±6.2Highest NE: 24.5%

Age 65+ 7.5%±2.9Lowest NE: 16.7% 10.9%±3.6Highest NE: 16.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.3%Highest NE: 34.6% 12.9%Lowest NE: 34.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±2.4Lowest NE: 6.6% 6.5%±3.2Highest NE: 6.6%

Palmyra 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 $85,139±$6kLowest 11% above NE

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $149,500±$59kLowest 37% below NE $164,500±$15kHighest 31% below NE

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $910±$187Lowest 15% below NE $1,188±$605Highest 11% above NE

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,899Lowest 46% below NE $2,183Highest 38% below NE

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 3%±53.8Lowest NE: 45.1% 81.8%±89.7Highest NE: 45.1%

Palmyra 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% 6.6%Highest NE: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 88.2%Lowest NE: 66.5% 94.4%Highest NE: 66.5%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 37 yrs older than NE 1972Highest 3 yrs older than NE

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest about the NE average 30 minHighest 54% above NE

Work from home 1.5%±1.8Lowest NE: 11% 14.5%±6.2Highest NE: 11%

Work in townworking residents 3.6%Highest 2.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miLowest 17.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.67Highest 0.53Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town York (19%)Lincoln (45%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PalmyraFew work in McCool Junction

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 92.2Lowest 178Highest

Schools

School district MC COOL JUNCTION PUBLIC SCHSPALMYRA DISTRICT O R 1

High school in town McCool Junction Jr.-Sr. High SCHJr.-Sr. High School at Palmyra

Students per teacherat that high school 10.0Highest 7.4Lowest

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.

Palmyra neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Palmyra’s Town Square.

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Towns like McCool Junction

Greenwood601 people · $177K homes

Crofton902 people · $126K homes

Duncan612 people · $163K homes

Adams580 people · $192K 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.