Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Falls City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $90K for a typical one, or 1.5 years of the county’s $60K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 34th of 57 in Nebraska. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $52K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line, and its public schools trail 80% of Nebraska towns on state tests and graduation. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. 46% of working residents work locally in Falls City, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 8%. On hazard risk, just 7 of Nebraska’s 133 towns do better. Its National Register listings include Gehling's Theatre and Gov. Arthur J. Weaver House.
Where Falls City beats most towns.
Gehling's TheatreEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Falls City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 607 in 1870, a peak of 6,203 in 1950, 4,133 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Falls City, 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 Falls City.
Falls City sends many workers across the state line to Hiawatha, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
Its public schools are run by the Falls City Public Schools. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls City North ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 341 | – |
| Falls City Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 216 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 48 to 16 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Falls City is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Falls City | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Falls City has chilly winters and warm summers. Falls City’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 6,361 U.S. towns with household incomes like Falls City’s, it is healthier than 71%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
45% of adults have obesity in Falls City. Only 1 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Falls City. 14% of adults have diabetes in Falls City.
| Falls City | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 39% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Falls City | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.5% | 77.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
21% of working residents cross a state line to work, Hiawatha among the top destinations.
Of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Falls City. Since 2013, Falls City has lost 138 jobs, to 1,398 in 2023. The top destinations are Lincoln (7%), Omaha (5%) and Hiawatha (5%).
| Falls City | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (17% statewide). Falls City has lost 3.6% of its people since 2020, down to 3,988 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 25% of Falls City residents are under 18.
| Falls City | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 40.4 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Falls City | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.4% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.1% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.1% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.8% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.1% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.9% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.3% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,000, single groups can be off by several points
0.8 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Stanton Lake Park, at 20 acres.
| Falls City | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Stanton Lake Park | 0.5 mi | 20 |
| 2. Dallas Jones Memorial Park | — | 18 |
| 3. Grandview Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Falls City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Falls City residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
4 places in Falls City on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Falls City.
City in and county seat of Richardson County, Nebraska, United States
Falls City is a city in and the county seat of Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,133 at the 2020 census, down from 4,325 in 2010 and 4,671 in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Falls City grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #34 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades C+ for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income 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.
13 notable people were born here, including Dave Heineman and Arthur J. Weaver.
