Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Aurora earns an A+, 3rd among Nebraska's 57 graded towns. Homes are within reach, about $275K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the county’s $84K median household income, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 79% of U.S. towns, and residents are healthier than 75% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The exception is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 72% of U.S. communities, with strong wind at the top. Aurora has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Hamilton County Courthouse and Streeter-Peterson House. Only 5 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Aurora. Aurora is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 77% of U.S. towns.
Where Aurora beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Aurora is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,862 in 1890, 4,678 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1920 and a map from 1968 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aurora, 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 Aurora.
At 3.4 per 1,000 residents, Aurora’s property crime rate is below both Nebraska’s towns (8) and U.S. towns (9.9).
| Aurora | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Aurora Public Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 520 | A− |
| Aurora High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 382 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
28% of adults feel lonely in Aurora, below both the Nebraska town median (30%) and the median of U.S. towns (33%). 17% of Aurora adults have been diagnosed with depression. Aurora beats the Nebraska average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| Aurora | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Aurora | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 12.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Since 1980, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Aurora.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 15°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 78% of Nebraska places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.7°.
Aurora has chilly winters and warm summers. About 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Aurora | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 15°F | 14°F | 22°F |
| July high | 87°F | 87°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Aurora’s working residents works in town. 4.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Aurora. Jobs based in Aurora grew to 2,321 in 2023, 294 more than in 2013.
| Aurora | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 39% | 33% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 21% of residents (17% statewide). 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Nebraska.
| Aurora | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 28% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.5 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.3 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Aurora | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.7% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.5% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.8% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,800, single groups can be off by several points
0.6 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Streeter Park, at 58 acres.
| Aurora | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Streeter Park | 0.3 mi | 58 |
| 2. Refshauge Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Coles Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Aurora; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Aurora residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
4 places in Aurora on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Aurora.
City in Nebraska, United States
Aurora is a city in Hamilton County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Aurora had a population of 4,678. It is the county seat of Hamilton County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Aurora grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #3 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades A− for health, A− for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
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.
5 notable people were born here, including Harry Scott Smith and Ron Spencer.
