Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fairbury gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $114K, 1.9 years of the county’s $59K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 39th of 57 in Nebraska. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. On health, just 9 of Nebraska’s 131 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Jefferson County Courthouse and Fairbury Public-Carnegie Library. Of the 50 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower typical home value than Fairbury.
Where Fairbury beats most towns.
Jefferson County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Fairbury is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,251 in 1880, a peak of 6,395 in 1950, 3,970 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fairbury, 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 Fairbury.
Fairbury is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
At 1.9 years of the county’s $59K median household income, the typical home (about $114K) costs less against local pay than in 98% of Nebraska towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. Values fell 3.7% in the past year while the Nebraska typical home rose 3%.
Homes in Fairbury are typically worth about $114,000, 59% below the Nebraska typical home. Values fell 3.7% in the year to September 2026. In Fairbury, two thirds of households live in a home they own, close to Nebraska’s towns (67%) and below U.S. towns (73%).
| Fairbury | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $676 a month | $921 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Fairbury Public Schools runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Fairbury Jr.-Sr. High School, with 370 students. Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 277 | – |
| Fairbury Jr.-Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 370 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
2 flood insurance claims have been paid in Fairbury since 1992. Expected losses in Fairbury break down as 60% from inland flooding and 18% from tornadoes. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 6,780 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fairbury’s, it is healthier than 66%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Fairbury: just over a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 57 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Fairbury. Two figures for adults locally: 14% have diabetes, 17% smoke cigarettes.
| Fairbury | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Fairbury | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.9% | 77.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Fairbury’s middle household income comes in at $53,000. Roughly one working resident in three has a job in Fairbury itself. Among residents locally, 15% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Lincoln (10%), Omaha (5%) and Beatrice (5%).
| Fairbury | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 35% | 33% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest park or preserve is City Park, at 58 acres. Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 0.1 miles. Parks and preserves in Fairbury: 2, covering 72 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | — | 58 |
| 2. McNish Park | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Fairbury; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Fairbury residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
7 places in Fairbury on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Fairbury.
City in Nebraska, United States
Fairbury is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fairbury had a population of 3,970. Fairbury has been closely connected with railroading for much of its history. It was founded on the projected route of a railway, and grew as a shipping center. For nearly 80 years, it was the location of the Western Division headquarters of the Rock Island Railroad. Fairbury prospered with the Rock Island, and lost business and residents as the railroad declined.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fairbury grades B− overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #39 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades C for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
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−.
8 notable people were born here, including Lulu Grace Graves and C. Lowell Harriss.
