Of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Indianola. Indianola has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

505 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Bartley · 6 mi McCook · 11 mi Danbury · 14 mi Cambridge · 14 mi Lebanon · 15 mi Wilsonville · 19 mi

Indianola, Nebraska Main Street 1, 2010

Indianola’s story

153 years in pictures

The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005.

1873Indianola is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Indianola: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Indianola, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerCity of IndianolaEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterCity of Indianola water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet6 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Indianola’s trash rules yet

SchoolsSouthwest Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereRed Willow County ClerkRed Willow County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP code6903469034 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 Indianola.

Work & commute

Indianola has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

Most working residents leave Indianola for work: only 5% work in town. At 26 minutes, Indianola’s average trip to work is above Nebraska’s towns (17 minutes) and close to U.S. towns (25 minutes). 5.7% of Indianola residents live below the poverty line.

5%work in town

	Indianola	Nebraska towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	5.3%	34%	8%
Average trip to work	26 minutes	17 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	5.7%	11%	9.6%
Median household income	$55,000	$69,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Indianola5%

McCook32%

Bartley8%

Lincoln6%

Cambridge4%

12 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Indianola

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageIndianola’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here92 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work5% work in Indianola Commute times26 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 12 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Schools

The schools Indianola’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the Southwest Public Schools. Its one school is below.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Southwest Elementary-IndianolaLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	172	B⁻

Full pageIndianola’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsSOUTHWEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS Every school1 school · Southwest Elementary-Indianola Questions“Are Indianola’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Housing

Homes in Indianola are worth about $190K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Indianola home is worth about $190,000, up 0.5% in a year, 32% below the Nebraska typical home. 86% of households own their home in Indianola, above both the Nebraska town median (67%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).

$190KZillow home value

Typical home value

Indianola$190K

Nebraska$278K

+0.5%

value change, 1 year

Full pageIndianola’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 0.5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.4 years of income Rents$644 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

Compared with most of Nebraska and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Indianola is hotter

The July high in Indianola is 91°F. Indianola has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain.

30″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–43°

Spring36–66°

Summer60–89°

Fall37–68°

Oct 9

typical first frost

May 2

typical last frost

+1.1°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageIndianola’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 91°, January lows 15°Rain & snow30″ of snow a winter · 22 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.1° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Indianola is

Indianola beats the Nebraska average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of adults feel lonely in Indianola. Only 2 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Indianola.