Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Plainview’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for civic life; the weakest is a D for incomes. On incomes, just 13 of Nebraska’s 133 towns do worse. Plainview is more walkable than 75% of U.S. towns. Only one of the 51 Nebraska towns we compare has a lower value of a typical home than Plainview. Plainview has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Athletic Park Band Shell and Plainview Carnegie Library. Plainview has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Plainview beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Plainview is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1942.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plainview, 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 Plainview.
In Plainview, the rent at the middle of the market is $816 a month, where Nebraska’s towns sit at $914 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 68% of households own their home in the town.
| Plainview | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $816 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The Plainview Public Schools runs its public schools. Public school enrollment in the town: 358 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainview Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 207 | C+ |
| Plainview Secondary SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 151 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Commuting out is the norm in Plainview: 13% of working residents work locally. In Plainview, the income of the median household is $55,000, against $69,000 in Nebraska’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. The town’s average commute is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Norfolk (13%), Osmond (10%) and Omaha (6%).
| Plainview | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 34% | 8% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected losses in Plainview break down as 34% from inland flooding and 21% from hail. On expected storm and flood damage, Plainview sits above 71% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Plainview after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 2 have a lower midsummer high than Plainview. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 11° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Of 32 CDC measures, Plainview beats the Nebraska average on 1 and trails it on 8. For adults in the town, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 17%. Only 5 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Plainview.
| Plainview | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Plainview | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.1% | 77.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 7 acres in Plainview.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chilvers Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Plainview; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Plainview residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Plainview’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Plainview on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Plainview.
City in Nebraska, United States
Plainview is a city in Pierce County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,282 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
5 notable people were born here, including Ben Sasse and Frederick W. Mote.
