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NENebraska rankings

Safest towns in Nebraska

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 37 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Map of Valley 1 Valley 4.0 Violent 0.2 per 1,000 Broken Bow 2 Broken Bow 4.1 Violent 0.9 per 1,000 Map of Gothenburg 3 Gothenburg 5.0 Violent 0.4 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 Map of Valley Valley3,174 people 4.0 0.2 per 1,000 3.2 per 1,000
2 Broken Bow Broken Bow3,502 people 4.1 0.9 per 1,000 0.7 per 1,000
3 Map of Gothenburg Gothenburg3,452 people 5.0 0.4 per 1,000 3.4 per 1,000
4 Cozad Cozad3,937 people 6.0 0.7 per 1,000 3.3 per 1,000
5 Map of Wahoo Wahoo4,929 people 7.1 0.6 per 1,000 4.7 per 1,000
6 Map of Schuyler Schuyler6,578 people 8.1 1.1 per 1,000 3.7 per 1,000
7 Aurora Aurora4,664 people 8.6 1.1 per 1,000 4.1 per 1,000
8 Seward Seward7,678 people 8.8 0.5 per 1,000 6.9 per 1,000
9 Wayne Wayne6,121 people 9.0 1.0 per 1,000 5.2 per 1,000
10 Plattsmouth Plattsmouth6,731 people 9.1 0.3 per 1,000 7.7 per 1,000
11 Map of Milford Milford2,565 people 10.4 1.6 per 1,000 3.9 per 1,000
12 Papillion Papillion25,244 people 11.3 0.4 per 1,000 9.6 per 1,000
13 Map of Beatrice Beatrice12,225 people 11.5 0.9 per 1,000 7.9 per 1,000
14 Map of Falls City Falls City4,077 people 11.9 1.2 per 1,000 7.0 per 1,000
15 Blair Blair7,914 people 12.0 1.1 per 1,000 7.7 per 1,000
16 McCook McCook7,314 people 12.5 0.6 per 1,000 10.1 per 1,000
17 Columbus Columbus24,488 people 13.9 0.9 per 1,000 10.2 per 1,000
18 La Vista La Vista16,563 people 15.2 0.6 per 1,000 12.8 per 1,000
19 Nebraska City Nebraska City7,369 people 16.0 1.2 per 1,000 11.1 per 1,000
20 Norfolk Norfolk26,054 people 16.8 1.8 per 1,000 9.8 per 1,000
21 Lexington Lexington10,862 people 17.1 1.0 per 1,000 13.2 per 1,000
22 Bellevue64,510 people 17.1 1.1 per 1,000 12.9 per 1,000
23 Ogallala Ogallala4,777 people 19.4 1.3 per 1,000 14.3 per 1,000
24 Map of Ralston Ralston6,472 people 19.7 1.5 per 1,000 13.9 per 1,000
25 Map of Alliance Alliance8,075 people 20.1 2.6 per 1,000 9.8 per 1,000
26 Map of Sidney Sidney6,419 people 20.9 1.9 per 1,000 13.3 per 1,000
27 Map of York York8,141 people 23.6 1.6 per 1,000 17.2 per 1,000
28 Map of Valentine Valentine2,633 people 23.9 3.8 per 1,000 8.6 per 1,000
29 Kearney Kearney34,246 people 26.5 2.7 per 1,000 15.5 per 1,000
30 Map of North Platte North Platte22,831 people 27.3 1.4 per 1,000 21.8 per 1,000
31 Map of Crete Crete7,527 people 30.1 2.5 per 1,000 20.1 per 1,000
32 Map of South Sioux City South Sioux City13,907 people 31.3 1.8 per 1,000 23.9 per 1,000
33 Map of Hastings Hastings25,008 people 31.6 2.8 per 1,000 20.2 per 1,000
34 Map of Chadron Chadron5,160 people 32.0 2.9 per 1,000 20.4 per 1,000
35 Grand Island Grand Island52,884 people 34.0 3.9 per 1,000 18.5 per 1,000
36 Lincoln Lincoln294,856 people 38.5 3.8 per 1,000 23.4 per 1,000
37 Scottsbluff Scottsbluff14,376 people 54.3 5.0 per 1,000 34.4 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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