Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,009, founded in 1871. 66% more nonprofits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Trash day: look up yoursAlma’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. No town among the 57 in Nebraska we compare has a lower median rent than Alma. Alma is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 73% of U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher July high than Alma. On civic life, just 11 of Nebraska’s 127 towns do better. Alma has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Alma City Auditorium and Sale Barn and Alma Carnegie Library. Alma has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Alma beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Alma is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 298 in 1880, a peak of 1,768 in 1950, 1,043 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1884 and 3 maps from 1896 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alma, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Alma.
The typical Alma home is worth about $198,000, up 2.7% in a year, 29% below the Nebraska typical home. 81% of Alma households own their home, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 67% and U.S. towns at 73%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Alma Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alma Elementary at AlmaLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 192 | B |
| Alma High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 190 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For Alma, that is near the Nebraska town median (24%) and above the median of U.S. towns (22%). Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide). Alma has lost 2.9% of its people since 2020, down to 1,009 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Alma | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 41.5 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.4 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 68% are men (NE 51%).
| Alma | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.3% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.1% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.6% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.5% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.5% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.1% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Alma has chilly winters and warm summers. Only 3 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher January low than Alma.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Alma’s working residents works in town. 4.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Alma. The top destinations are Holdrege (14%), Kearney (6%) and Omaha (3%).
| Alma | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Alma. 13% of Alma adults report frequent mental distress. Alma beats the Nebraska average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Alma | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
| What stands out | Alma | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.8% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 9.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.1% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alma City Park | — | 8 |
| 2. Harlan County Recreation Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Alma; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Alma residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
City in Nebraska, United States
Alma is a city in Harlan County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Alma had a population of 1,043. It is the county seat of Harlan County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
66% more nonprofits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.