Battle Creek, Nebraska downtown, 2010
Battle Creek’s story
153 years in pictures
Census counts: 123 in 1880, 1,194 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1873Battle Creek is settled
Battle CreekNE
A town of 1,188, settled in 1873. 2.1 times the library visits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Population
1,188
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$280K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
35.8
years
Jobs based here
269
A commuter town
Is Battle Creek a good place to live?
Battle Creek’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. Of the 46 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Battle Creek. The biggest park or preserve is Battle Creek City Park, at 44 acres. Battle Creek has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestACivic life
What makes Battle Creek stand out
Where Battle Creek beats most towns.
Small town
1,188 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Battle Creek grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Battle Creek is from typical.
HealthFaith Health 8 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & income269 jobs based hereBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 1.5% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailBOpen →HistoryC+Open →Civic life10.1 library visits per resident; 8.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 85° summer afternoons, 30″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.8; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Battle Creek: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Battle Creek, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of Battle CreekEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Battle Creek water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Battle Creek’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Nebraska you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person until 11 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMadison County ClerkMadison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code6871568715 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Battle Creek.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Battle Creek’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Battle Creek for work: only 5% work in town. Battle Creek’s median household income is $96,000, above both the Nebraska town median ($69,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). The average trip to work in Battle Creek is 22 minutes.
5%work in town
| Battle Creek | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 34% | 8% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Battle Creek5%
Norfolk32%
Omaha8%
Tilden7%
Lincoln3%
11 mi
median commute distance
269
jobs based in Battle Creek
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 51% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB
On state tests, Battle Creek’s schools beat 60% of Nebraska districts
Its public schools are run by the Battle Creek Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
60%of NE districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Creek Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 292 | B |
| Battle Creek High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 292 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
Battle Creek ranks healthier than 70% of the country’s towns
Battle Creek beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 17% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Battle Creek, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 23%. 20% of adults binge drink in Battle Creek.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Battle Creek | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
1 better30 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Battle Creek | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.2% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.3% |
Faith Health
8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Battle Creek has four seasons and pleasant summers
Battle Creek has cold winters and warm summers. Only 3 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a lower July high than Battle Creek.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–35°
Spring37–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall38–62°
Oct 5
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Battle Creek
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 2010, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Battle Creek.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
4
paid flood claims since 2010
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Battle Creek
Battle Creek's reported crime rate is well below Nebraska's. Battle Creek’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Battle Creek0
Nebraska2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Battle Creek0
Nebraska14
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade B+
Battle Creek’s typical home value is about $280K
The typical Battle Creek home is worth about $280,000, up 5.9% in a year, close to the Nebraska typical home. 82% of Battle Creek households own their home.
$280KZillow home value
| Battle Creek | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $960 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Battle Creek$280K
Nebraska$278K
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 449 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Battle Creek City Park | 0.5 mi | 44 |
| 2. Heritage Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Battle Creek
18pages on Battle Creek
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 60% of NE districts · 3 schoolsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than NE on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$280K typical home · up 5.9% in a yearWork & commuteB$96K median household income · 269 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 62% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Battle Creek
About 7 of every 100 Battle Creek residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Battle Creek for work
Where Battle Creek’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
269jobs based in Battle Creek
5%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Battle Creek
City in Nebraska, United States
Battle Creek is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,194 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,588 ft
- ZIP code
- 68715
- Area code
- 402
Questions about Battle Creek
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Battle Creek, NE a good place to live?
2.1 times the library visits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Is Battle Creek, NE expensive?
Not for the area. That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($65,968 across the Norfolk, NE area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.