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%

Melbeta$560/mo

Typical home $90K (Census) · tax rate 1.18% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

Dawson$1,380/mo

Typical home $204K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $700/mo · Housing →

The difference: $820 a month, about $9,800 a year, between Dawson and Melbeta.

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

MelbetaDawson

Snow a year43″24″

January low15°F —

July high91°F —

Growing season (days)149d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st 67th

Outdoors & history

MelbetaDawson

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Settled1911 —

Archive photos3 4

Famous people born here1 —

Community

MelbetaDawson

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

417 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MelbetaNE DawsonNE

Melbeta ↔ Dawson417 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

MelbetaDawson

People

Population 146Lowest 166Highest

Median age 55.8±13.9Highest 50% above NE 53.9±13Lowest 45% above NE

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

Kids under 18 11.6%±14Lowest NE: 24.5% 21.1%±11.7Highest NE: 24.5%

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

Age 65+ 31.5%±17.5Highest NE: 16.7% 31.3%±23.6Lowest NE: 16.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 6.5%Lowest NE: 34.6% 7.3%Highest NE: 34.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±7.3Lowest NE: 6.6% 4.2%±8.3Highest NE: 6.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,000±$37kLowest 39% below NE $60,913±$7kHighest 20% below NE

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $90,000±$69k 62% below NE —

Rentmedian gross, monthly $850±$311Highest 21% below NE $700±$615Lowest 35% below NE

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,063Highest 70% below NE $375Lowest 89% below NE

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±81.2 NE: 45.1% 100%±100 NE: 45.1%

Below poverty line 10.3%Highest NE: 10.6% 3.7%Lowest NE: 10.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.3%Lowest NE: 66.5% 89.3%Highest NE: 66.5%

Typical home builtmedian year 1943Highest 32 yrs older than NE 1938Lowest 37 yrs older than NE

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 17% below NE 26 minHighest 37% above NE

Work from home 47.4%±32.8Highest NE: 11% 9%±8Lowest NE: 11%

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

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miLowest 16.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.13Highest 0.00Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Scottsbluff (31%)Humboldt (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DawsonFew work in Melbeta

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 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 176Highest 116Lowest

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.

Melbeta neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Melbeta’s Town Square.

Dawson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dawson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Melbeta and Dawson

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Melbeta

+ Compare

Myrtle Township163 people

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Franklin Township162 people

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Holstein185 people · $104K homes

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South Bend100 people · $117K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Nebraska towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Melbeta vs Dawson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $820 more a month in Dawson

What daily life feels like in each

417 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Melbeta and Dawson

Towns like Melbeta

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