Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 825, laid out in 1881.
No town among the 58 in Nebraska we compare has a lower July high than Emerson. Emerson’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, above both Nebraska’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Ben Bonderson Farm and Emerson City Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. Emerson 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: 617 in 1900, 840 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Emerson, 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 Emerson.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2% of working residents work locally in Emerson, against 34% in Nebraska’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in Emerson. The top destinations are Sioux City (13%), Wakefield (10%) and South Sioux City (7%).
| Emerson | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Emerson home is worth about $194,000, up 7.5% in a year, 30% below the Nebraska typical home. Emerson’s median rent is $703 a month.
| Emerson | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $703 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Emerson has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. The January low in Emerson is 11°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 crime was reported in Emerson in 2025: 0 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Emerson is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Emerson beats the Nebraska average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 33% of Emerson adults get no exercise outside work. Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Emerson.
| Emerson | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 36% |
| What stands out | Emerson | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 17.1% | 19.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.6% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aaron Park | — | 5 |
| 2. City Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
| 3. Emerson Municipal Pool | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Emerson
About 2 of every 100 Emerson residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Emerson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston counties in Nebraska, United States
Emerson is a village in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston counties in Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Emerson had a population of 840. Emerson is the only community in Nebraska that exists in three counties.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Emerson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Emerson was laid out in 1881 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 notable people were born here, including Daniel E. Sheehan and Lewis Webster Jones.