Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
27% of residents live below the poverty line in Peru, above both Nebraska’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower share of children under 18 than Peru. Peru is home to Peru State College. Peru has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Peru beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 567 in 1880, a peak of 1,380 in 1970, 648 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Peru, 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 Peru.
Peru’s median age is 21.3 years, against 37.5 years in Nebraska’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Peru has grown 2.7% since 2020, to 696 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 40% of Peru adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Peru | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.3 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 28% | 29% |
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.3 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 85% are men (NE 48%). Median age: women 21.1, men 21.4.
| Peru | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 48.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.9% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.8% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.7% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.5% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.4% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 31.4% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.5% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 32.6% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
The median rent in Peru is $478 a month. Typical home values rose 14% in the year to September 2026.
| Peru | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $478 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Peru for work: only 2% work in town. Peru’s average trip to work is 14 minutes. Since 2013, Peru has lost 209 jobs, to 53 in 2023.
| Peru | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Peru has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 15° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Peru beats the Nebraska average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 5.2% of adults have diabetes in Peru. Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Peru.
| Peru | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 5.2% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 19% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 76% | 79% |
| What stands out | Peru | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 5.2% | 10.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.1% | 8.3% |
| More lonely adults | 37.7% | 29.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.3 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Only 4 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Peru.
| Peru | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Neal Park | — | 8 |
| 2. Steamboat Trace Trail Peru Depot Trailhead | — | 4 |
| 3. Sid Brown Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Peru
College town 49 of every 100 Peru residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
3 notable people were born in Peru.
City in Nebraska, United States
Peru is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 648 at the 2020 census. Peru State College is located in the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Peru has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to Peru State College.
3 notable people were born here, including Edison Pettit and Peary Rader.
