Most Americans have never been to small town Nebraska. However, as the Nebraskan who live there know, small town Nebraska is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Nebraska has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Cornhusker State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 81 of Nebraska’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Nebraska where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Nebraska for 2024:
- Rushville
- Fullerton
- Falls City
- Wymore
- Kimball
- Gordon
- Auburn
- Plainview
- Bridgeport
- Fairbury
So what is the worst small town to call home in Nebraska for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Rushville is the worst small town to live in Nebraska.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Rushville home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Nebraska or the worst places to live in Nebraska.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Nebraska For 2024
1. Rushville
Population: 1,011
Median Home Value: $107,432
Median Income: $47,180
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%
2. Fullerton
/10
Population: 1,353
Median Home Value: $141,843
Median Income: $51,466
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%
3. Falls City
/10
Population: 4,124
Median Home Value: $82,867
Median Income: $40,222
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
4. Wymore
/10
Population: 1,287
Median Home Value: $90,897
Median Income: $52,587
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
5. Kimball
/10
Population: 2,149
Median Home Value: $144,710
Median Income: $47,917
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
6. Gordon
/10
Population: 1,697
Median Home Value: $96,017
Median Income: $56,161
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
7. Auburn
/10
Population: 3,434
Median Home Value: $136,016
Median Income: $59,167
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
8. Plainview
/10
Population: 1,326
Median Home Value: $131,884
Median Income: $51,210
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
9. Bridgeport
/10
Population: 1,384
Median Home Value: $130,806
Median Income: $55,652
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%
10. Fairbury
/10
Population: 3,913
Median Home Value: $101,773
Median Income: $47,518
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Nebraska is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Nebraska, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 81 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Nebraska.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Nebraska
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Cornhusker State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Nebraska are Rushville, Fullerton, Falls City, Wymore, Kimball, Gordon, Auburn, Plainview, Bridgeport, and Fairbury.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Nebraska, according to science:
- Ceresco (Pop. 1,414)
- Waverly (Pop. 4,289)
- Hickman (Pop. 2,697)
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Nebraska
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rushville | 1,011 | 6.2% | $107,432 | $47,180 |
| 2 | Fullerton | 1,353 | 6.0% | $141,843 | $51,466 |
| 3 | Falls City | 4,124 | 5.7% | $82,867 | $40,222 |
| 4 | Wymore | 1,287 | 4.1% | $90,897 | $52,587 |
| 5 | Kimball | 2,149 | 2.1% | $144,710 | $47,917 |
| 6 | Gordon | 1,697 | 3.2% | $96,017 | $56,161 |
| 7 | Auburn | 3,434 | 4.2% | $136,016 | $59,167 |
| 8 | Plainview | 1,326 | 5.7% | $131,884 | $51,210 |
| 9 | Bridgeport | 1,384 | 6.0% | $130,806 | $55,652 |
| 10 | Fairbury | 3,913 | 1.0% | $101,773 | $47,518 |
| 11 | Ogallala | 4,835 | 3.5% | $192,368 | $57,045 |
| 12 | Imperial | 2,207 | 2.9% | $206,837 | $64,625 |
| 13 | Wakefield | 1,354 | 5.6% | $173,765 | $44,583 |
| 14 | Harvard | 1,056 | 1.9% | $99,332 | $68,810 |
| 15 | Madison | 2,098 | 4.6% | $173,135 | $59,714 |
| 16 | Cozad | 3,943 | 1.0% | $154,020 | $54,485 |
| 17 | Creighton | 1,241 | 2.5% | $97,795 | $52,656 |
| 18 | Tekamah | 1,847 | 3.0% | $173,016 | $51,639 |
| 19 | Wood River | 1,405 | 5.2% | $151,978 | $69,459 |
| 20 | Ravenna | 1,408 | 2.8% | $184,317 | $61,066 |
| 21 | Broken Bow | 3,510 | 2.2% | $158,927 | $49,425 |
| 22 | Superior | 1,905 | 1.6% | $77,360 | $61,801 |
| 23 | Tilden | 1,110 | 2.9% | $187,085 | $63,523 |
| 24 | Mitchell | 1,930 | 3.9% | $190,311 | $53,831 |
| 25 | Tecumseh | 1,878 | 1.2% | $143,117 | $44,813 |
| 26 | Ainsworth | 1,563 | 0.7% | $124,290 | $47,576 |
| 27 | Oakland | 1,578 | 0.0% | $172,106 | $66,406 |
| 28 | Cambridge | 1,170 | 0.0% | $152,767 | $61,250 |
| 29 | Ord | 2,121 | 1.0% | $160,042 | $56,108 |
| 30 | West Point | 3,481 | 1.5% | $231,219 | $66,771 |
| 31 | Central City | 3,035 | 0.0% | $182,987 | $54,063 |
| 32 | Dakota City | 2,857 | 4.4% | $217,255 | $73,417 |
| 33 | Weeping Water | 1,201 | 8.9% | $219,555 | $63,507 |
| 34 | Shelton | 1,333 | 8.6% | $204,209 | $67,143 |
| 35 | Hebron | 1,569 | 1.7% | $150,153 | $66,786 |
| 36 | Atkinson | 1,426 | 4.4% | $162,931 | $72,656 |
| 37 | Sutton | 1,384 | 1.3% | $174,310 | $67,865 |
| 38 | Neligh | 1,624 | 4.0% | $144,226 | $61,484 |
| 39 | O’neill | 3,584 | 0.0% | $170,336 | $63,867 |
| 40 | David City | 3,000 | 0.2% | $163,748 | $59,087 |
| 41 | Bayard | 1,435 | 2.4% | $138,910 | $60,000 |
| 42 | Cairo | 1,082 | 1.5% | $263,418 | $51,630 |
| 43 | Gibbon | 1,785 | 6.6% | $247,971 | $69,276 |
| 44 | Gothenburg | 3,463 | 3.3% | $177,230 | $84,615 |
| 45 | Alma | 1,131 | 0.4% | $135,238 | $52,679 |
| 46 | Grant | 1,398 | 1.2% | $176,023 | $67,500 |
| 47 | Valentine | 2,621 | 0.0% | $186,705 | $51,131 |
| 48 | Elm Creek | 1,176 | 2.6% | $242,390 | $68,500 |
| 49 | Minden | 3,099 | 0.0% | $175,321 | $65,345 |
| 50 | Stanton | 1,673 | 1.8% | $219,618 | $72,500 |
| 51 | Sutherland | 1,184 | 3.2% | $209,845 | $81,923 |
| 52 | Valley | 3,032 | 2.9% | $409,091 | $80,319 |
| 53 | Wilber | 1,967 | 1.6% | $195,601 | $78,750 |
| 54 | Fort Calhoun | 1,154 | 1.3% | $497,248 | $75,900 |
| 55 | Wisner | 1,389 | 0.6% | $188,779 | $68,417 |
| 56 | St. Paul | 2,408 | 3.0% | $187,689 | $58,500 |
| 57 | Woodland Park | 1,655 | 0.7% | $194,775 | $68,977 |
| 58 | North Bend | 1,250 | 2.0% | $248,621 | $81,923 |
| 59 | Aurora | 4,656 | 4.1% | $232,392 | $66,328 |
| 60 | Utica | 1,117 | 1.3% | $215,347 | $77,788 |
| 61 | Randolph | 1,034 | 0.8% | $126,699 | $73,250 |
| 62 | Pierce | 2,049 | 2.0% | $262,829 | $58,419 |
| 63 | Pender | 1,273 | 2.2% | $192,449 | $80,288 |
| 64 | Wahoo | 4,832 | 2.8% | $254,338 | $75,052 |
| 65 | Geneva | 2,097 | 1.0% | $153,471 | $86,667 |
| 66 | Albion | 1,641 | 1.7% | $251,554 | $67,721 |
| 67 | Ashland | 3,130 | 5.0% | $381,241 | $78,966 |
| 68 | Syracuse | 1,876 | 0.0% | $225,485 | $66,250 |
| 69 | Friend | 1,117 | 1.4% | $199,219 | $77,386 |
| 70 | Battle Creek | 1,405 | 0.8% | $246,326 | $89,191 |
| 71 | Hartington | 1,552 | 3.1% | $227,309 | $79,444 |
| 72 | Springfield | 1,555 | 5.2% | $252,695 | $89,432 |
| 73 | Louisville | 1,499 | 3.7% | $345,951 | $93,897 |
| 74 | Yutan | 1,451 | 3.9% | $333,464 | $84,531 |
| 75 | Arlington | 1,519 | 1.0% | $326,949 | $85,938 |
| 76 | Milford | 2,530 | 0.4% | $274,444 | $77,422 |
| 77 | Bennington | 2,432 | 2.5% | $398,728 | $94,444 |
| 78 | Bennet | 1,098 | 0.5% | $390,488 | $93,125 |
| 79 | Ceresco | 1,414 | 2.7% | $328,053 | $96,125 |
| 80 | Waverly | 4,289 | 0.3% | $320,113 | $103,373 |
| 81 | Hickman | 2,697 | 0.4% | $357,807 | $96,984 |
Really Oakdale isn’t as bad as you may think it is
Oh, but we are laughing all the way out to our adirondacks on our stone patios looking out over the lake and beautiful trees below, with a wonderfully complex red in hand, a little Diana Krall on the Bose, watching deer and other wildlife, comfy in front of the warm fire, just slightly smug about our well disguised little secret…à votre santé!
Amen to that!! 🙂 I was born an raised in Nebraska too. Cant think of a better place to be ♡ they can keep their metro’s…i prefer the finer things in life..like fresh air and clean living!! 😉
Wilsonville is pretty innocent! Most of the people there are retired or too old to work… Its like a giant retirement home. Everyone that lives in Wilsonville is happy!
There isn’t two post office in wilsonville. There is an old building and the current post office is located in the old school. I grew up in wilsonville and resent your snide comments about our wonderful town. There may not be a lot of jobs available right in town but you know what else we don’t have…….a lot of DRAMA! It’s peaceful and a tight knit community. So to whoever made this list….I salute you with my middle finger!
I don’t a agree with Steele City being the worst small town in Nebraska to live. I live in Steele City and you will not find a more quiet and friendly town to live in. We do not have hardly any crimes in Steele City and no violent crimes
I would suggest to whoever made up this list to come to my great town and see for themselves. BECAUSE THEY ARE FLAT WRONG
Brock should be #1. I was robbed numerous times…broke into garage to cook there dope..poison my dogs and me one dog didn’t make it..cops in nemaha county would not do anything about it I am Very lucky to get out alive..they took everything I worked for..I now live in mini van but I am alive..my advice stay away from this area its BAD!!!