Wayne makes Nebraska’s top 10 on 6 lists
Wayne is ranked on 39 lists against the 61 Nebraska towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 6 and the top quarter on 8.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every NE town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Wayne marked.
Younger than 100% of Nebraska
Not better or worse, just Wayne’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
1 spot from the top 3 for short commutes
Lists where Wayne sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Wayne lands in the top half on 18 of 26 lists
Each dot is Wayne’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in NE, the right end is last. Areas where Wayne does best come first.
Every NE list, and where Wayne lands
40 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Broken Bow · 8.8 min
#4 Health
Healthiest#1 Hickman · 95 / 100
#22
Lowest obesity#1 Seward · 33%
#14
Fewest smokers#1 Gretna · 10%
#7
Most active#1 Hickman · 15%
#25
Fewest uninsured#1 Gretna · 6%
#27
Lowest depression#1 Schuyler · 14%
#42
Closest to a top hospital#1 Omaha · 0.0 mi
#55 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Valentine · 5.9%
#42
Most new homes#1 Gretna · 38.7 per 1,000
#10
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Central City · +65.7%
#44
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Bellevue · 6.5 per home
Safety
Safest#1 Valley · 4.0
#9 People
Most educated#1 Valley · 51.2%
#17
Youngest#1 Wayne · 23.2
#1
T
Oldest#1 Township 1 · 52.1
#61
Most residents 65+#1 Cozad · 25.8%
#52
Most kids#1 Offutt AFB · 35.6%
#61 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Falls City · 1.2 yrs
#39
Cheapest rent#1 Dakota City · $635/mo
#12
Lowest property tax#1 Valentine · $1,398/yr
#27
Rent easiest to afford#1 Lexington · 27.2%
#19 Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 St. Paul · 20.5 per resident
#19
Most library borrowing#1 Central City · 26.0 per resident
#20
Best libraries for kids#1 Central City · 39.6 per child
#15 
The number on the right is Wayne’s spot. All of Nebraska’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every NE list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.