Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,962, settled in 1885. Public schools that outperform most of Nebraska.
Trash & recyclingThe best of Imperial’s subject grades are an A for schools and walkability and an A− for civic life. 42% of working residents work locally in Imperial, above both the Nebraska town median (34%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 6 of Nebraska’s 132 towns score higher on walkability. Imperial has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Chase County Courthouse and Balcony House. Imperial has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Imperial beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Chase County Elementary School | PK–4 | 221 |
| Chase County Middle School | 5–8 | 179 |
| Chase County High School | 9–12 | 208 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Imperial is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 159 in 1890, 2,068 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and a map from 1973 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Imperial, 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 Imperial.
Its public schools are run by the Chase County Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 221 | B |
| Chase County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 208 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 22% of residents (17% statewide). Imperial’s median age is 44.8 years, against 37.5 years in Nebraska’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Imperial has lost 5.1% of its people since 2020, down to 1,962 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Imperial | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 28% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 65% are men (NE 50%).
| Imperial | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.7% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.1% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.9% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.2% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.7% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Imperial’s July high is 90°F. Imperial has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average trip to work in Imperial is 13 minutes. Since 2013, Imperial has lost 134 jobs, to 987 in 2023. 7.1% of Imperial residents live below the poverty line.
| Imperial | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Imperial home is worth about $236,000, up 9.3% in a year, 15% below the Nebraska typical home. 85% of households own their home in Imperial.
| Imperial | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $904 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Imperial's reported crime rate is well below Nebraska's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| Imperial | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Imperial beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Imperial | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Imperial | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 77.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.5% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Park | — | 7 |
| 2. Schroeder Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Imperial City Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Imperial; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Imperial residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
2 places in Imperial on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Nebraska, United States
Imperial is a city in Chase County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Imperial had a population of 2,068. It is the county seat of Chase County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of Nebraska.
Not for the area. That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($68,173 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
