State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Nebraska

Compare counties in Nebraska by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in NE

Arthur County

81.2

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in NE

Cherry County

80.4

Overall score

Open county report

#3 in NE

Franklin County

78.4

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in NE

York County

78.3

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in NE

Pierce County

77.9

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Arthur County

Overall score 81.2

Most affordable

Nuckolls County

Affordability 96.3

Best schools

Logan County

Schools 99.1

Safest

Garfield County

Safety 99.9

Lowest taxes

Loup County

Taxes 85

Best peace & quiet

Phelps County

Peace & Quiet 98.4

All Nebraska counties

Showing 93 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Arthur County FIPS 31005	81.2	81.2	82.9	89.7	-	55.6	89.3	$185,900	$76,250
2	Cherry County FIPS 31031	80.4	81.6	61.7	97	93	67.4	90.3	$220,949	$66,270
3	Franklin County FIPS 31061	78.4	53.8	82.3	96.8	94.6	62.6	91.9	$150,183	$60,195
4	York County FIPS 31185	78.3	70.2	72.6	93.6	94.3	49.2	95.8	$228,855	$77,757
5	Pierce County FIPS 31139	77.9	79.2	69.8	96.8	76.5	51.3	93.6	$241,737	$72,357
6	Hamilton County FIPS 31081	77.8	76.4	64.3	90.5	94.6	57.6	91.4	$294,648	$83,994
7	Thayer County FIPS 31169	77.8	62.4	86	88.5	81.1	61.8	93.4	$148,830	$66,213
8	Butler County FIPS 31023	77.7	81.9	71	81	87.3	57.6	88.7	$240,325	$79,268
9	Seward County FIPS 31159	77.7	80.1	58.5	95.2	96.7	49.1	92.4	$308,419	$82,444
10	Harlan County FIPS 31083	77.5	67.6	77.8	89.8	98.4	43.1	82.6	$163,166	$70,625
11	Fillmore County FIPS 31059	77.4	71.6	82.9	76.3	85.3	61.9	90.7	$178,086	$76,295
12	Logan County FIPS 31113	77.4	58.5	84.4	99.1	-	55.5	94.3	$184,150	$74,271
13	Polk County FIPS 31143	77.3	78.4	72.9	73.4	98.7	54.8	89.7	$210,973	$69,768
14	Grant County FIPS 31075	76	72.6	84.4	70.6	-	73	79.4	$136,700	$70,147
15	Washington County FIPS 31177	75.9	83.8	55.2	92.9	95.4	37.5	90.7	$392,211	$94,396
16	Saunders County FIPS 31155	75.6	82.8	59.3	87.5	93.1	43	85.8	$347,170	$94,066
17	Cedar County FIPS 31027	75.4	65.4	69	84.6	94.1	61.3	93.6	$236,620	$73,578
18	Red Willow County FIPS 31145	75.3	58.9	77.8	85.1	99.5	44.1	95.6	$172,068	$63,697
19	Custer County FIPS 31041	75.1	63	76.6	86	91.2	46.4	93.3	$171,036	$67,906
20	Holt County FIPS 31089	74.9	64.2	78.7	74.9	98.3	48	93.2	$175,144	$68,513
21	Dixon County FIPS 31051	74.6	72.7	76.3	71	90.1	52.2	88.9	$194,095	$72,454
22	Perkins County FIPS 31135	74.4	64.6	76	71.5	90.2	66.4	96.5	$219,875	$72,778
23	Rock County FIPS 31149	74.4	67.5	75.2	85.5	-	59.7	90.3	$147,435	$58,125
24	Clay County FIPS 31035	74.2	65.3	86.1	64.7	93.2	49.2	91.1	$177,248	$78,986
25	Blaine County FIPS 31009	74	72.1	85	-	-	47.9	80.9	$116,900	$69,583
26	Phelps County FIPS 31137	73.8	65.3	69.4	87.6	94.4	35.6	98.4	$218,487	$68,919
27	Valley County FIPS 31175	73.5	61.6	70.7	95	82.6	44.2	93	$194,680	$61,852
28	Antelope County FIPS 31003	72.9	61.1	67.4	79.9	91.6	64.2	92.4	$220,374	$66,105
29	Thomas County FIPS 31171	72.8	54.2	73.9	92.8	-	66.4	92.9	$188,754	$65,000
30	Knox County FIPS 31107	72.6	67.9	70.2	66.9	92.9	63.9	87.4	$194,779	$64,636
31	Gage County FIPS 31067	72.1	68.2	74.9	74.2	91	32.9	91.4	$196,238	$67,247
32	Nance County FIPS 31125	72	60.3	77.2	82.3	-	59.7	88.8	$170,684	$65,179
33	Cheyenne County FIPS 31033	71.7	58.4	75.7	84.6	92.1	25.8	97.1	$167,181	$60,348
34	Furnas County FIPS 31065	71.7	53.6	89.2	82.5	66.2	50.1	91.8	$128,195	$61,048
35	Dawes County FIPS 31045	71.5	64	64.3	81.8	99	35	95.1	$186,105	$56,280
36	Hitchcock County FIPS 31087	71.5	49.2	72	90.8	82.3	65.1	83.8	$152,767	$51,567
37	Wayne County FIPS 31179	71.3	65.4	58	86.8	92.1	43.3	98.1	$245,627	$66,215
38	Garfield County FIPS 31071	71.2	57.7	58	93.1	99.9	42.1	88.6	$230,637	$62,804
39	Nemaha County FIPS 31127	71	57.1	71.8	95.8	71.5	43.4	90.6	$174,283	$60,924
40	Stanton County FIPS 31167	71	73.6	68.7	74.4	72.2	50.9	93	$263,903	$80,687
41	Lancaster County FIPS 31109	70.9	76.1	52.2	95.2	98.7	15.2	69.2	$299,034	$74,793
42	Sarpy County FIPS 31153	70.6	87.3	61.9	83	93.5	9.2	34.7	$354,031	$103,321
43	Colfax County FIPS 31037	70.3	73.8	75.3	41.8	89	65.8	95.6	$230,930	$82,530
44	Webster County FIPS 31181	70.3	60.4	90.2	52.2	91.9	39.3	89.1	$138,512	$64,347
45	Adams County FIPS 31001	70.2	67.9	72.1	66.8	96.4	26.1	95.6	$209,005	$68,365
46	Nuckolls County FIPS 31129	70.2	70.5	96.3	39.9	67.5	58	91.8	$116,507	$73,976
47	Howard County FIPS 31093	70.1	65	62.7	76.7	88.1	53.1	86.7	$277,294	$76,767
48	Kearney County FIPS 31099	70	79.6	69.7	59.2	80.2	41.2	94.2	$251,431	$78,631
49	Hooker County FIPS 31091	69.7	42.4	71	98.4	-	66.7	91.3	$133,472	$49,464
50	Morrill County FIPS 31123	69.7	57.6	80	59.3	95.9	45.4	90.2	$151,929	$58,500
51	Boone County FIPS 31011	69.4	61.6	59.4	68.2	92.6	69.9	93.3	$289,334	$74,947
52	Cass County FIPS 31025	69.1	75.8	68	66.5	81.6	33.5	85	$306,528	$91,836
53	Wheeler County FIPS 31183	69.1	58.9	62.1	58.3	99.7	80.5	83.4	$242,830	$70,250
54	Richardson County FIPS 31147	69	54.9	90.9	59.5	80	40.3	92.1	$115,210	$60,108
55	Platte County FIPS 31141	68.7	70	59.7	65.6	95.8	40.2	95.8	$276,480	$71,552
56	Buffalo County FIPS 31019	68.6	72.9	55.5	75.1	91.9	29	95.3	$295,746	$75,911
57	Greeley County FIPS 31077	68.6	64.6	69.9	69	-	64.1	90	$210,255	$63,929
58	Sheridan County FIPS 31161	68.1	71.4	84.8	47.1	72	44	89.4	$136,484	$60,121
59	Burt County FIPS 31021	68	57.7	74.5	62	90	46	88.7	$185,915	$63,685
60	Cuming County FIPS 31039	68	64.9	59.8	59.7	90	65.9	95.2	$260,269	$71,104
61	Kimball County FIPS 31105	67.8	64.2	75.3	51.8	91.5	40.6	94.6	$161,253	$56,712
62	Brown County FIPS 31017	67.7	52.7	78.9	50.5	94.9	58.7	91.6	$144,449	$54,676
63	Frontier County FIPS 31063	67.2	51.2	78	72.8	80.8	38.4	88.2	$173,926	$70,132
64	Madison County FIPS 31119	66.5	65.2	55.9	68.3	96.8	33.1	94.9	$251,800	$63,128
65	Saline County FIPS 31151	66.4	68.2	77.4	40.2	92.9	35.2	90.7	$215,666	$79,910
66	Jefferson County FIPS 31095	66.3	57	83.4	65.8	68.9	30.2	93.8	$138,811	$59,044
67	Johnson County FIPS 31097	66	54.1	62.6	82.2	78.1	44.8	84.7	$204,612	$57,632
68	Dodge County FIPS 31053	65.1	70.2	64.9	41.1	96.6	40.7	90.4	$242,267	$74,329
69	Scotts Bluff County FIPS 31157	65.1	60	72.6	50.3	95	28.5	94.8	$191,212	$63,614
70	Deuel County FIPS 31049	64.6	52	78.7	44.4	83.3	63.7	84.3	$181,580	$70,096
71	Merrick County FIPS 31121	64.6	70.6	71.1	28.8	95.1	45.6	91.6	$224,849	$68,354
72	Lincoln County FIPS 31111	64.2	64.8	64.6	53.9	90.1	27.3	96.6	$216,740	$65,148
73	Sherman County FIPS 31163	64.2	58.7	70	50.6	82.1	53.2	84.9	$191,718	$63,578
74	Keith County FIPS 31101	64.1	63.7	54.5	57.5	95.4	42.3	90	$233,673	$60,645
75	Boyd County FIPS 31015	64	55.1	84.8	42.7	-	66.4	84.2	$147,861	$67,045
76	Hall County FIPS 31079	63.9	66.3	60	54.6	93.1	29.1	90.3	$255,439	$69,251
77	Gosper County FIPS 31073	63.5	64.1	50.2	59.5	86.8	59.1	82.5	$317,827	$77,500
78	Pawnee County FIPS 31133	63.4	48.8	81	42.6	77.1	66	86.1	$160,445	$62,188
79	Chase County FIPS 31029	62.8	61	69.4	47.5	75.1	48.4	92.3	$216,949	$68,173
80	Otoe County FIPS 31131	62.5	71.4	75.4	61.1	32.7	41.2	91.4	$241,495	$82,188
81	Garden County FIPS 31069	62.3	46.6	53	82.7	-	70.1	89.8	$193,001	$41,882
82	Douglas County FIPS 31055	62.2	72.6	58.7	63.2	97.1	9.1	24.9	$293,766	$80,391
83	Dawson County FIPS 31047	61.7	67.1	72.6	25.1	83.9	44.3	95.3	$202,736	$69,880
84	Box Butte County FIPS 31013	61.4	56.1	82.2	27.7	94.9	22.5	95.4	$171,749	$68,892
85	Keya Paha County FIPS 31103	61.3	67.2	37.4	54.4	81.6	79.1	83.1	$317,828	$64,000
86	Hayes County FIPS 31085	60.5	55.2	47.5	38	99.7	81.7	81.6	$303,183	$69,250
87	Dakota County FIPS 31043	58.2	68.6	64.1	18.9	88.1	32.8	94.4	$238,515	$70,329
88	Thurston County FIPS 31173	57.7	62.7	77.6	0.2	88.2	48.7	90.6	$159,045	$69,177
89	Dundy County FIPS 31057	56.1	60.4	64.4	21.9	-	74.8	92.2	$203,144	$58,922
90	Sioux County FIPS 31165	55	67.7	14.7	73.2	-	72.5	85.6	$332,495	$53,929
91	Loup County FIPS 31115	54.6	58.9	31.5	56.5	-	85	79.9	$354,651	$71,667
92	Banner County FIPS 31007	45.9	49.1	28.6	44.5	-	64.5	84.7	$418,753	$78,839
93	McPherson County FIPS 31117	43.4	40.9	16.5	48.3	-	83	90.4	$388,592	$58,684