Meat Market, c. 1895
Gretna’s story
140 years in pictures
Census counts: 255 in 1890, 5,083 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 4 maps from 1956 on.
- 1886Gretna is settled
GretnaNE
A town of 9,207, settled in 1886.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
9,207
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Typical home
$431K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$124K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
7,539
A job hub
TownGrade
A
#10 of 57 in NE
Is Gretna a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Gretna grades A overall, ranked 10th of 57 in Nebraska. The median household earns $124K. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country and its public schools beat 90% of Nebraska towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $431K, 5.1 years of the Omaha metro’s $85K median household income. Only 2 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score higher on the outdoors. Chalco Hills Recreation Area, at 360 acres with 3.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. On history, just 8 of Nebraska’s 133 towns do worse.
What makes Gretna stand out
Where Gretna beats most towns.
OutdoorsA
#7 most trails in NE
32 measures vs. Nebraska
21 better11 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Gretna | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.5% | 12.3% |
HealthA
Beats NE on 21 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Squire John Thomas Elementary | PK–5 | 499 |
| Gretna Elementary School | PK–5 | 374 |
| Gretna Middle School | 6–8 | 784 |
SchoolsA
#3 of the 57 Nebraska towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Get outside
6 miles of trails in Gretna
9.6% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Gretna grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Gretna is from typical.
Jobs & income7,539 jobs based hereA+Open →HealthCHI Health Lakeside 7.6 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 5.5% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; tornadoes tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 10% conserved landAOpen →History2 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life4 library visits per resident; 2.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market12 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.3; 50% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 36 attractions →Memorial Stadium and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gretna. Close and well known come first.
34 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
16 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
10 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
16 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum
34 mi Stadium & arenaPinnacle Bank Arena
24 mi LandmarkFort AtkinsonSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Memorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · Pinnacle Bank Arena: CrunchySkies, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Atkinson: Unknown, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gretna: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gretna, and how to reach them.
PowerOmaha Public Power District13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Gretna water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gretna’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 hereSarpy Election CommissionerSarpy County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code6802868028 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 Gretna.
Gretna is among the three healthiest towns in Nebraska, has schools in the top 5% of Nebraska and draws workers from Omaha and beyond.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 9.6% of Gretna
Its A for the outdoors ranks #2 of 57 in Nebraska.
On this, Gretna is above both the Nebraska town median (3.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). 5.8 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The trail density in Gretna is 0.8 miles per square mile.
#7for trails in NE
| Gretna | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.6% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
9.6%
conserved · 429 of 4,495 acres
5.8 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chalco Hills Recreation Area | 3.5 mi | 360 |
| 2. Leo Royal Memorial Park | 0.7 mi | 18 |
| 3. Plum Creek Subdivision Park and Recreation Area | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
Gretna earns an A for schools
Its A ranks #3 of the 57 Nebraska towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $431K.
Its public schools are run by the Gretna Public Schools. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Gretna High School, with 955 students.
90%of NE districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gretna Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 784 | A− |
| Gretna High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 955 | A− |
| Gretna Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 374 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Gretna stands out in Nebraska and nationally, with fewer of its adults who report frequent mental distress
It ranks #2 of the 57 Nebraska towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Nebraska is food insecurity: 6.5% of its 3,628 adults worry about having enough food, against 12.3% statewide.
13% of Gretna adults report frequent mental distress, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 17%. 9.3% of Gretna adults report frequent physical distress. Only 2 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Gretna.
94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Gretna | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 28% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
21 better11 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Gretna | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.5% | 12.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 9.9% |
CHI Health Lakeside
7.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
98th
percentile among NE towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
The median household income in Gretna is higher than in most of Nebraska or the rest of the country
7,539 jobs are based in Gretna, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 4,250 in 2013 to 7,539.
4.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Gretna. Among 57 Nebraska towns, just 1 have a higher median household income than Gretna. 11% of working residents work locally in Gretna.
11%work in town
| Gretna | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $124,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 5.4% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 35% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Gretna11%
Omaha56%
Papillion4%
Lincoln3%
La Vista2%
11 mi
median commute distance
7,539
jobs based in Gretna
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C−
Gretna earns a C− for cost of living
57.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 45.1% across Nebraska. The median property tax bill is $6,260, against $3,549 across Nebraska, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Gretna’s median rent is $1,540 a month. The typical Gretna home is worth about $431,000, up 2.2% in a year, 55% above the Nebraska typical home.
$431KZillow home value
| Gretna | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,540 a month | $907 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 67% | 73% |
Typical home value
Gretna$431K
Nebraska$278K
Market temperature
12
days on market
100.4%
sale-to-list price
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
13
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Gretna
Gretna has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 15° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer64–84°
Fall42–64°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Gretna, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 2019, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gretna.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 2019
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gretna
19pages on Gretna
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Gretna
College of Saint MaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Omaha12 mi$24,510 tuitionRicketts Great Books CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Omaha12 mi$0 tuitionUniversity of Nebraska at OmahaUniversity or college · Public · Omaha13.3 mi$8,718 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Gretna residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
A growing town
Gretna has grown 14% since 2010
4,441 counted in 2010 and 5,083 in 2020; an estimated 9,207 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 14.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Gretna
City in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States
Gretna is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Omaha metropolitan area and considered a suburban bedroom community for Omaha. The city's population was 5,083 at the 2020 census and estimated to be 9,071 in 2022.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,270 ft
- ZIP code
- 68028
- Area code
- 402
Gretna’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Gretna.
MeliaChalcoGretna
How the neighbors grade
Gretna and Chalco report no FBI crime data of their own. Melia isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Gretna with a neighbor →
Questions about Gretna
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gretna, NE a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Gretna grades A overall, better than 87% of U.S. towns and #10 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Gretna, NE expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
What is Gretna, NE known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Andy Janovich and Charles Love Mullins.