Best Counties for Families in Nebraska 2026

93 counties ranked by schools, safety, income, and affordability.

Top 5 Family Counties in Nebraska

1Thomas County

All 93 Family-Ranked Counties in Nebraska

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Thomas County, NE	91	78.9
2	Nuckolls County, NE	88	75.9
3	Butler County, NE	84	70.4
4	Loup County, NE	84	81.7
5	Clay County, NE	83	66.1
6	Stanton County, NE	82	67.9
7	Gosper County, NE	79	67.9
8	Cuming County, NE	78	64.1
9	Boone County, NE	77	71.2
10	Harlan County, NE	77	69
11	Pierce County, NE	76	65.4
12	Garfield County, NE	75	69.3
13	Webster County, NE	75	65
14	Phelps County, NE	75	64.7
15	Seward County, NE	74	60.6
16	Fillmore County, NE	74	69.4
17	Nance County, NE	74	63.3
18	Rock County, NE	74	71.8
19	Antelope County, NE	73	67.5
20	Merrick County, NE	73	64.9
21	Polk County, NE	73	68.3
22	Cedar County, NE	73	67.3
23	Frontier County, NE	72	65.1
24	Dundy County, NE	72	73.1
25	Burt County, NE	72	64.6
26	Franklin County, NE	72	68.2
27	Knox County, NE	72	65.3
28	Dixon County, NE	71	63.6
29	Hamilton County, NE	71	62.4
30	Howard County, NE	71	65.4
31	Holt County, NE	71	67.4
32	Boyd County, NE	71	67.6
33	Thurston County, NE	71	59.3
34	Kearney County, NE	70	61.5
35	Garden County, NE	70	68.5
36	Saunders County, NE	69	58.7
37	Logan County, NE	69	67.9
38	Greeley County, NE	68	64
39	Morrill County, NE	68	58.7
40	Grant County, NE	68	69.6
41	Sherman County, NE	68	61.2
42	Johnson County, NE	67	62.9
43	Red Willow County, NE	67	60.1
44	Washington County, NE	67	55.3
45	Hayes County, NE	67	65.8
46	Wheeler County, NE	67	74.8
47	Cass County, NE	67	53.6
48	Blaine County, NE	67	66.4
49	Arthur County, NE	67	67.5
50	Valley County, NE	67	62.5
51	Perkins County, NE	67	60.5
52	McPherson County, NE	66	68.3
53	Keya Paha County, NE	66	65.1
54	Pawnee County, NE	64	62.5
55	Colfax County, NE	64	53.9
56	Thayer County, NE	64	61.7
57	Furnas County, NE	63	55.9
58	Deuel County, NE	63	61.2
59	Nemaha County, NE	63	57.7
60	Custer County, NE	63	58.3
61	York County, NE	63	55
62	Hooker County, NE	62	66.7
63	Sioux County, NE	62	62.9
64	Richardson County, NE	61	60
65	Kimball County, NE	61	52.3
66	Cherry County, NE	61	55.4
67	Chase County, NE	60	58.4
68	Wayne County, NE	60	60.5
69	Hitchcock County, NE	60	60.4
70	Sheridan County, NE	60	57.3
71	Madison County, NE	59	52.8
72	Brown County, NE	59	60.7
73	Banner County, NE	59	56
74	Dawson County, NE	58	47.5
75	Sarpy County, NE	58	44.9
76	Jefferson County, NE	58	54.4
77	Keith County, NE	57	52.4
78	Otoe County, NE	56	49.3
79	Saline County, NE	53	46.4
80	Gage County, NE	53	51.4
81	Dodge County, NE	49	42.2
82	Platte County, NE	49	44
83	Box Butte County, NE	44	43.2
84	Adams County, NE	43	39.8
85	Dakota County, NE	43	35.8
86	Lincoln County, NE	42	39.1
87	Buffalo County, NE	42	38.6
88	Cheyenne County, NE	41	41.4
89	Scotts Bluff County, NE	39	37
90	Hall County, NE	39	35.5
91	Dawes County, NE	35	38.8
92	Douglas County, NE	33	29.6
93	Lancaster County, NE	32	32.3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in Nebraska?

Based on our analysis of school quality, safety, income, and cost of living, Thomas County ranks as the top family county in Nebraska with a family score of 91.

How many counties in Nebraska are ranked for families?

We rank 93 counties in Nebraska for family suitability, scoring each on school quality (35%), safety (30%), income (20%), and cost of living (15%).

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.