Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,663, settled in 1872.
Hickman's standout: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 95% of the country. Overall it grades A, ranked 13th of 57 in Nebraska. The median household earns $104K and its schools outperform 80% of the state's. 35% of residents are under 18 in Hickman, against 24% in Nebraska’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Only 11 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score lower on cost of living. The biggest park or preserve is Hickman City Park, at 30 acres.
Where Hickman beats most towns.
1,657 counted in 2010 and 2,607 in 2020; an estimated 3,663 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 39.2% since 2020, after 57.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Hickman is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 341 in 1890, 2,607 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1973 and 3 maps from 1897 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hickman, 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 Hickman.
Hickman is the healthiest town in Nebraska and sends most of its workers to Lincoln and beyond.
It is the healthiest of the 57 Nebraska towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Nebraska is tooth loss: 3.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.4% statewide.
8.4% of adults report frequent physical distress in Hickman. Of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Hickman. 28% of adults feel lonely in Hickman.
| Hickman | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 28% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.8% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Hickman | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.6% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.6% | 12.3% |
| More binge drinkers | 24.1% | 19.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
88% of Hickman households own their home. Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Hickman has 278 jobs for its 1,413 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Hickman for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Hickman is 25 minutes. Since 2013, Hickman has added 117 jobs, to 278 in 2023.
| Hickman | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 35% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 5.4% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Children under 18 are 35% of residents (25% statewide); people 65 and older are 10% of residents (17% statewide). Hickman’s median age is 33.2 years. Hickman has grown 39% since 2020, to 3,663 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Hickman | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 9.7% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 28% | 29% |
| Median age | 33.2 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 31.6, men 35.0.
| Hickman | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 22.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.5% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.5% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.2% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.1% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.4% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.1% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 15.8% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.2% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.7% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.8% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.4% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
Hickman has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 15° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hickman.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hickman City Park | — | 30 |
| 2. Prairie View Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Olde Towne Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hickman. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
14 mi Stadium & arenaPinnacle Bank Arena
32 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
14 mi MuseumSheldon Museum of Art
14 mi MuseumUniversity of Nebraska State Museum
14 mi MuseumMuseum of American SpeedMemorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Pinnacle Bank Arena: CrunchySkies, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Sheldon Museum of Art: Ammodramus, CC0 · University of Nebraska State Museum: Hanyou23, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of American Speed: Amjackson16, CC BY-SA 4.0
5 within 15 miles of the center of Hickman
About 5 of every 100 Hickman residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Hickman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Nebraska, United States
Hickman is a city in Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,607 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hickman grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #13 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades A+ for health and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Adam Mania and Jakson Reetz.
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