Bruning, Nebraska downtown 1, 2010
Bruning’s story
139 years in pictures
Census counts: 255 in 1900, 281 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
- 1887Bruning is established
BruningNE
A town of 282, established in 1887.
Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Population
282
2025 Census estimate · −3.8% since 2020
Typical home
$177K
+9.5% in a year
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
36.2
years
Jobs based here
563
A job hub
Is Bruning a good place to live?
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 1 have a higher share of households owning their home than Bruning. Bruning has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Bruning stand out
Where Bruning beats most towns.
Small town
282 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bruning: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bruning, and how to reach them.
PowerNorris Public Power District9.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Bruning water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bruning’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 hereThayer County ClerkThayer County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code6832268322 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 Bruning.
Work & commute
With 4.7 jobs for every working resident, Bruning draws in 540 commuters
Most working residents leave Bruning for work: only 19% work in town. 3.9% of Bruning residents live below the poverty line, below both Nebraska’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Bruning has added 419 jobs, to 563 in 2023.
19%work in town
| Bruning | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Bruning19%
Hebron13%
Davenport8%
Deshler7%
Geneva6%
13 mi
median commute distance
563
jobs based in Bruning
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Bruning’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Bruning-Davenport Unified Sys school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruning-Davenport Elem/BruningLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–1 | Grades PK–1 | 48 | – |
| Bruning-Davenport High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 50 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
Bruning’s typical home value is about $177K
The typical Bruning home is worth about $177,000, up 9.5% in a year, 37% below the Nebraska typical home. Bruning’s median rent is $860 a month, against $914 a month in Nebraska’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
$177KZillow home value
Typical home value
Bruning$177K
Nebraska$278K
+9.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Hail leads a very high hazard risk in Bruning
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Bruning
Bruning has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Bruning is 88°F.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–39°
Spring39–64°
Summer63–86°
Fall41–66°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Nebraska overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (36% statewide). 45% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bruning. Bruning has lost 3.8% of its people since 2020, down to 282 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
36.2median age · NE 37.2
| Bruning | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 28% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.2 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
BruningNebraskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school18%
Some college13%
Associate’s20%
Bachelor’s36%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.4 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Bruning | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.2% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.2% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.4% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.1% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.2% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.8% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 36.3% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Bruning is
Bruning beats the Nebraska average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 29% of Bruning adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Bruning | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Bruning | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 6.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 6.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.3% |
Thayer County Health Services
12.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bruning
17pages on Bruning
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bruning; the nearest are
York UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · York36.9 mi$23,000 tuitionCloud County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Concordia, KS54.2 mi$3,540 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnUniversity or college · Public · Lincoln56.3 mi$10,434 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Bruning residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
A job hub
Every workday, about 540 people come to Bruning for work
Where Bruning’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
563jobs based in Bruning
19%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bruning
Village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States
Bruning is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 285 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,585 ft
- ZIP code
- 68322
Questions about Bruning
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bruning, NE a good place to live?
Bruning has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.