Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Holdrege is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, ranked 36th of 57 in Nebraska, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $185K, 2.7 years of the county’s $69K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $56K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. 51% of working residents work locally in Holdrege, above both Nebraska’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (8%). Holdrege has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Phelps County Courthouse and C B & Q Holdrege Depot. Holdrege is more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns.
Where Holdrege beats most towns.
Phelps County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Holdrege is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,601 in 1890, 5,515 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 3 maps from 1896 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holdrege, 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 Holdrege.
Holdrege is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
4.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Holdrege’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile. Only 5 of the 56 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of conserved land than Holdrege.
| Holdrege | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.1% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Park | 1.7 mi | 42 |
| 2. South Park | 0.8 mi | 23 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Holdrege Public Schools. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Holdrege High School, with 337 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holdrege Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 340 | B |
| Holdrege High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 337 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
At 2.7 years of the county’s $69K median household income, the typical home (about $185K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Nebraska towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
The typical Holdrege home is worth about $185,000, up 2.6% in a year, 33% below the Nebraska typical home. The median rent in Holdrege is $835 a month.
| Holdrege | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $921 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Holdrege has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 15° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 2013, Holdrege has added 749 jobs, to 3,458 in 2023. The top destinations are Kearney (9%), Lincoln (4%) and Grand Island (3%). Half commute less than 1 miles.
| Holdrege | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 22% of residents (17% statewide). 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Nebraska.
| Holdrege | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.1 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 24% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
About 110 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Holdrege | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.3% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.6% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.6% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Holdrege's reported crime rate is well below Nebraska's. Among 45 Nebraska towns, just 4 have a lower property crime rate than Holdrege. 10 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Holdrege | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 7,673 U.S. towns with household incomes like Holdrege’s, it is healthier than 80%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Holdrege beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 29% of adults feel lonely in Holdrege.
| Holdrege | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Holdrege | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.2% | 77.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Holdrege.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Holdrege; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Holdrege residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
3 places in Holdrege on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Holdrege.
City in Nebraska, United States
Holdrege is a city in Phelps County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,515 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Phelps County. The Nebraska Prairie Museum is located in Holdrege.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Holdrege grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #36 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades B− for health and B− 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 B.
11 notable people were born here, including Forrest Silas Petersen and Harry Schmidt.
