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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 39 largest places in Nebraska, Gering has the lowest unemployment rate (0.6%), followed by Gretna and Plattsmouth. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 39 places in Nebraska that we cover, the median is 2.6% and the average 2.7%; the figure runs from 0.6% (Gering) to 6.5% (Wayne). That is a spread of 11.8 times between the two ends. The state figure is 3.0%; 16 of the 39 places are above it and 23 at or below.
The first five are Gering, Gretna, Plattsmouth, Cozad, Chalco. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: unemployment from the ACS is a survey estimate with a margin of error, and small places can swing widely. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Unemployment (ACS) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gering | Scotts Bluff County | 0.6% | 8,550 | $75,093 | $823 |
| 2 | Gretna | Sarpy County | 0.6% | 9,193 | $123,992 | $1,540 |
| 3 | Plattsmouth | Cass County | 0.7% | 6,731 | $73,929 | $941 |
| 4 | Cozad | Dawson County | 1.3% | 3,937 | $54,471 | $851 |
| 5 | Chalco (unincorporated) | Sarpy County | 1.4% | 10,595 | $85,672 | $1,195 |
| 6 | Nebraska City | Otoe County | 1.4% | 7,369 | $67,117 | $947 |
| 7 | McCook | Red Willow County | 1.4% | 7,314 | $56,917 | $823 |
| 8 | Schuyler | Colfax County | 1.6% | 6,578 | $80,399 | $1,049 |
| 9 | Seward | Seward County | 1.7% | 7,678 | $72,564 | $1,018 |
| 10 | Beatrice | Gage County | 1.7% | 12,225 | $57,264 | $758 |
| 11 | York | York County | 1.7% | 8,141 | $63,265 | $862 |
| 12 | Chadron | Dawes County | 1.8% | 5,160 | $54,590 | $881 |
| 13 | Holdrege | Phelps County | 1.8% | 5,546 | $55,789 | $835 |
| 14 | Alliance | Box Butte County | 2.0% | 8,075 | $65,160 | $694 |
| 15 | Lexington | Dawson County | 2.1% | 10,862 | $67,666 | $966 |
| 16 | Aurora | Hamilton County | 2.1% | 4,664 | $77,679 | $764 |
| 17 | Blair | Washington County | 2.1% | 7,914 | $81,452 | $937 |
| 18 | Ralston | Douglas County | 2.2% | 6,472 | $69,403 | $1,215 |
| 19 | Columbus | Platte County | 2.4% | 24,488 | $64,626 | $892 |
| 20 | Scottsbluff | Scotts Bluff County | 2.6% | 14,376 | $56,359 | $966 |
| 21 | Hastings | Adams County | 2.9% | 25,008 | $64,048 | $858 |
| 22 | Kearney | Buffalo County | 2.9% | 34,246 | $69,724 | $949 |
| 23 | Offutt AFB (unincorporated) | Sarpy County | 2.9% | 6,074 | $72,500 | $1,666 |
| 24 | Ogallala | Keith County | 3.0% | 4,777 | $58,556 | $667 |
| 25 | Sidney | Cheyenne County | 3.1% | 6,419 | $54,734 | $819 |
| 26 | Norfolk | Madison County | 3.2% | 26,054 | $58,884 | $875 |
| 27 | Papillion | Sarpy County | 3.2% | 25,244 | $111,679 | $1,269 |
| 28 | Bellevue | Sarpy County | 3.2% | 64,510 | $85,462 | $1,226 |
| 29 | Lincoln | Lancaster County | 3.3% | 294,856 | $71,867 | $1,086 |
| 30 | La Vista | Sarpy County | 3.4% | 16,563 | $81,961 | $1,317 |
| 31 | Wahoo | Saunders County | 3.6% | 4,929 | $89,457 | $907 |
| 32 | North Platte | Lincoln County | 3.9% | 22,831 | $58,097 | $921 |
| 33 | Fremont | Dodge County | 4.2% | 27,567 | $71,152 | $1,080 |
| 34 | Omaha | Douglas County | 4.2% | 488,837 | $73,201 | $1,187 |
| 35 | Crete | Saline County | 4.4% | 7,527 | $77,209 | $936 |
| 36 | Grand Island | Hall County | 4.6% | 52,884 | $63,795 | $947 |
| 37 | South Sioux City | Dakota County | 5.0% | 13,907 | $68,223 | $1,127 |
| 38 | Falls City | Richardson County | 5.3% | 4,077 | $51,706 | $714 |
| 39 | Wayne | Wayne County | 6.5% | 6,121 | $53,702 | $792 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Gering, with 0.6% (among the 39 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 39 largest places in Nebraska by population.