Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 630, settled in 1882.
Z.C.B.J. Opera House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Clarkson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 147 in 1890, a peak of 918 in 1930, 641 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clarkson, 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 Clarkson.
Households in Clarkson have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2019. 48% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hail at 18%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Public schools: the Clarkson Public Schools. Its two schools are below. 2 public schools serve Clarkson, with 212 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 106 | C |
| Clarkson Jr.-Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 106 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
In Clarkson, 10% of working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Clarkson dropped by 33, to 234. Its typical household income is $61,000, against $69,000 in Nebraska’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns, while among 58 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Clarkson.
| Clarkson | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 13°, with about 24 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Clarkson. In Clarkson, 27% of adults feel lonely, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 30% and U.S. towns at 33%; what’s more, 16% of adults say their health is fair or poor here. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Clarkson is ahead of Nebraska on 8 and behind on 9.
| Clarkson | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
| What stands out | Clarkson | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.1% | 9.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.9% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No town among the 57 in Nebraska we compare has a lower typical rent than Clarkson. The share of households in Clarkson who are owner-occupiers: 86%. Home values are up 2.9% over the year to September 2026.
| Clarkson | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $488 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Clarkson; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Clarkson residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Clarkson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Nebraska, United States
Clarkson is a city in Colfax County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Clarkson had a population of 641.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clarkson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.