The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Nebraska

Best Cities in Nebraska for Property and Violent Crimes

The cities that are the best for violent crimes include Wahoo and Ashland.

Wahoo

Wahoo is a small town in Nebraska, boasting about 4,885 people.¹ While it has a lot of small-town charm, it is close to several major cities in the state, including Lincoln, Omaha and Fremont, so residents have a lot of choices for where to work and where to have fun.

The average income in Wahoo is currently at just over $65,000², which can make for a comfortable living. The prime location, the small town setting and the healthy income make this a good place to call home and may help limit the number of violent crimes that happen here.

Ashland

Ashland is another small town located between Lincoln and Omaha. This allows residents to get a small-town feel while still enjoying some of the amenities available in the larger cities of Nebraska. The 2023 population of Ashland was just over 3,000, making it a cozy town to call home.³

While the population has seen a small decrease due to people moving closer to the cities, the poverty rate has also gone down in this area. This makes it a safer place to live as many people don’t have to worry about violence due to a lack of income. Ashland is also one of the best for property crimes, likely due to the same reasons that it is low in violent crimes.

Broken Bow

The city with the lowest property crime rate was Broken Bow. Broken Bow is a small town in Nebraska with just around 3,500 people. The population grew slightly between 2022 and 2023 and income grew at a rate of 14.2 percent, making it a more affordable place to live.

Broken Bow is relatively isolated, close to the middle of the state. However, it is still within driving distance to several places for work and entertainment, including Kearney, Grand Island and North Platte. Residents can enjoy the small-town feel and be further from some of the violent crime issues of places like Grand Island while still getting the benefits of working there.

Worst Cities in Nebraska for Property and Violent Crimes

Valentine

Valentine is considered one of the worst places in Nebraska for violent crimes. It has a population of 2632 and a poverty rate of 7.15%. The median household income was $53,438 in 2023, an increase over the previous year and the median property value was $135,600.⁴

Valentine is located near the state border in a remote area and it isn’t close to any major city that would provide work opportunities. This can make it more of a hot spot for violent crimes since there are fewer economic opportunities available to residents.

Grand Island

Grand Island is larger than some others on our list and is considered the third-largest city in Nebraska (outside of Nebraska Cornhusker home games, where the number of people in the stadium takes that honor). Grand Island’s population in 2023 was 52,622 people.⁵

The biggest issue that may contribute to violent crimes in Grand Island is the decrease in income. The median income in 2023 was $62,439, down 6% from 2020 and is only 79.5% of the U.S. median household income.⁶

Scottsbluff

Scottsbluff is all on its own, far away from most of the other people in the state. You can find this smaller town, with just over 14,000 people, in the state's panhandle.⁷ It’s several hours away from any major city in Nebraska and it may be close to the Colorado border, but not near Denver or any of those towns. Going north to South Dakota or south to Kansas doesn’t lend well to finding opportunities either.

Scottsbluff also has an unemployment rate of 4%,⁸ which is higher than the national average. Combined with its remote location, this can make it hard to find a good job. Lack of opportunity can lead to property crime.

Chadron

The city of Chadron boasts 5,145 people as of 2023⁹. It is also located in the state's panhandle, close to Scottsbluff and the South Dakota border. This location has few good jobs or opportunities, which can lead to problems with property crimes.

Chadron's cost of living is 90% lower than the national average, but its median income is 48% lower.¹⁰ Its unemployment is also high, so it is difficult to find work to make enough to pay the bills. This can lead to more property crimes per person than in other parts of the state.

Nebraska Crime Trends

Compared to many other states in the country, Nebraska is a relatively safe place to call home.

Nebraska is ranked #40 for violent crime and #17 for property crime out of all 50 states. They currently have about 230 violent crimes per 100,00 people, which is 37% below the national average. This is a year-over-year change of -18.8%, which means that violent crimes have actually gone down.

Property crimes are a bit more common, with 1,976 incidents per 100,000 people. This is about 3% above the national average and rates have increased by 4.6% in one year. Residents should be on the lookout for some property damage that can happen in the cities and other towns we discussed above.

When it comes to property crimes, larceny-theft is the most common, but it is only 3.1% above the national average. Vehicle theft is next, at 30.9% above the national average. Burglary is much less common in Nebraska than in the rest of the country, coming in at 32.4% below the nationwide average.

Most violent crime rates are below-average in Nebraska, with murder at 43.9% and robbery at 60.5% below the national average. However, Nebraska’s rape rate was 27.4% higher than the national average.