Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Beatrice gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $184K, 2.7 years of the Beatrice area’s $67K median household income. It grades B− overall, 33rd of 57 graded towns in Nebraska. 45% of working residents work locally in Beatrice, above both Nebraska’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (8%). On health, just 10 of Nebraska’s 131 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Beatrice City Library and Beatrice Chautauqua Pavilion and Gatehouse.
Where Beatrice beats most towns.
Burlington Northern Depot
Census counts: 2,447 in 1880, 12,261 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Beatrice is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Beatrice, 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 Beatrice.
Beatrice is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
At 2.7 years of the Beatrice area’s $67K median household income, the typical home (about $184K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Nebraska towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
Beatrice’s median rent is $758 a month. The typical Beatrice home is worth about $184,000, up 1.2% in a year, 34% below the Nebraska typical home.
| Beatrice | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $758 a month | $921 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Beatrice Public Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Beatrice High School, with 627 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beatrice Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 798 | – |
| Beatrice High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 627 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
3.5 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Chautauqua Park, at 84 acres.
| Beatrice | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chautauqua Park | 0.6 mi | 84 |
| 2. Frolick Park | 0.3 mi | 78 |
| 3. Charles Park | 0.3 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 129 to 83 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 8 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Beatrice has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Beatrice is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,106 U.S. towns with household incomes like Beatrice’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
41% of Beatrice adults have high blood pressure. Only 4 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Beatrice. 13% of Beatrice adults have diabetes.
| Beatrice | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Beatrice | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 77.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
17% of residents live below the poverty line in Beatrice. The top destinations are Lincoln (18%), Omaha (7%) and Grand Island (2%). 2.9% of workers work from home in Beatrice.
| Beatrice | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 5.6% | 11% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
119 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 119 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Beatrice.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Beatrice; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Beatrice residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
14 places in Beatrice on the National Register of Historic Places.
24 notable people were born in Beatrice.
City in Nebraska, United States
Beatrice () is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska, United States. Its population was 12,261 at the 2020 census, making it the 15th most populous city in Nebraska. Beatrice is located approximately 42 miles south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Beatrice.
| Town | NE rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beatrice | #33 | B− | A− | B+ | C | C+ |
| Midland Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Riverside Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Midland Township and Riverside Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Beatrice with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Beatrice grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #33 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades C+ for health, B+ for safety and C for schools.
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−.
24 notable people were born here, including Oliver Kirk and Gene L. Coon.
