Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Lexington gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $197K, 2.8 years of the Lexington area’s $71K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 48th of 57 in Nebraska. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its public schools trail 76% of Nebraska towns on state tests and graduation. 35% of residents are under 18 in Lexington, against 24% in Nebraska’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Only 4 of Nebraska’s 131 towns score lower on health. Lexington has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Dawson County Courthouse and Ira Webster Olive House.
Where Lexington beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Lexington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,392 in 1890, 10,348 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 3 maps from 1896 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lexington, 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 Lexington.
Lexington has home values falling while Nebraska’s rise and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
The largest public high school is Lexington High School, with 915 students. The Lexington Public Schools runs its public schools. Below: Two of its 8 schools, each with why it was picked.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 672 | C− |
| Lexington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 915 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
The share of residents in Lexington who live below the poverty line: 14%. Roughly one working resident in five has a job in Lexington itself. For Lexington, the typical journey to work is 16 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 2 miles.
| Lexington | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 35% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
26% of Lexington adults say their health is fair or poor. Only 2 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Lexington. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Lexington is ahead of Nebraska on 3 and behind on 18.
| Lexington | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 9.7% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 28% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 76% | 79% |
| What stands out | Lexington | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 8.3% |
| Fewer adults with depression | 14.6% | 18.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 27.6% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Values fell 2.8% in the past year while the Nebraska typical home rose 3%.
57% of households own their home in Lexington. Zillow values the typical Lexington home at about $197,000, 29% below the Nebraska typical home. The midpoint rent for Lexington comes to $966 a month.
| Lexington | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $966 a month | $907 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The biggest park or preserve is Plum Creek Park, at 25 acres. 1.7 miles of trail wind through 6 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Lexington: 6, covering 60 acres.
| Lexington | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plum Creek Park | 0.8 mi | 25 |
| 2. Kirkpatrick Memorial Park | — | 24 |
| 3. Arbor Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lexington’s peak summer temperature is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Federal aid has come to Lexington households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 23 claims in the town since 1991. 28% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 24%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 173 to 132 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 9 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Lexington is 10.8 per 1,000 residents. The level of violent crime locally is 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Lexington | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.8 per 1,000 residents | 7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Lexington; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Lexington residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
3 places in Lexington on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Lexington.
City in Nebraska, United States
Lexington is a city in Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10,348 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th most populous city in Nebraska. It is the county seat of Dawson County. Lexington is located in southern Nebraska, on the Platte River, southeast of North Platte. It sits along the route of U.S. Route 30 and the Union Pacific Railroad. In the 1860s, Lexington was the location of a stop along the Pony Express.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lexington grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #48 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades C for health, B− for safety and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
11 notable people were born here, including Bill Barrett and Aage Brix.
