Cortland, Nebraska 4th Street 1, 2012
Cortland’s story
142 years in pictures
Census counts: 509 in 1890, 504 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1884Cortland is platted
CortlandNE
A town of 515, platted in 1884.
Population
515
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$316K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
38.2
years
Jobs based here
67
A commuter town
Is Cortland a good place to live?
0.8% of working residents work locally in Cortland, below both Nebraska’s towns (34%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 2 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Cortland. Cortland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
515 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 Cortland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cortland, and how to reach them.
PowerNorris Public Power District9.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Cortland 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 Cortland’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 hereGage County ClerkGage County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6833168331 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 Cortland.
Work & commute
Cortland has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Cortland for work: only 1% work in town. 4.2% of Cortland residents live below the poverty line, below both the Nebraska town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Cortland grew to 67 in 2023, 32 more than in 2013.
1%work in town
| Cortland | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 5.4% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Cortland1%
Lincoln33%
Beatrice19%
Omaha6%
Crete3%
21 mi
median commute distance
67
jobs based in Cortland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Cortland
Cortland has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 15° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–38°
Spring40–63°
Summer63–85°
Fall42–65°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in Cortland is valued at about $316K
The typical Cortland home is worth about $316,000, up 0.9% in a year, 13% above the Nebraska typical home. 87% of households own their home in Cortland.
$316KZillow home value
| Cortland | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,075 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Cortland$316K
Nebraska$278K
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Cortland is
Cortland beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 23% of Cortland adults binge drink.
| Cortland | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Cortland | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 69% | 64.3% |
Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center
13.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Cortland, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cortland
16pages on Cortland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cortland; the nearest are
Doane UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Crete15.2 mi$43,985 tuitionUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnUniversity or college · Public · Lincoln21.5 mi$10,434 in-state tuitionSoutheast Community College AreaCommunity college · Public · Lincoln22.1 mi$3,690 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Cortland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Cortland for work
Where Cortland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
67jobs based in Cortland
1%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cortland
Village in Nebraska, United States
Cortland is a village in Gage County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 504 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,444 ft
- ZIP code
- 68331
Questions about Cortland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cortland, NE a good place to live?
Cortland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.