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Saint Paul, Nebraska water tower 2St. Paul, #1 on this list · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Nebraska rankings · Libraries

Towns with the most-used libraries in Nebraska

St. Paul has the most-used library of Nebraska’s 41 towns of 2,500+ with a library of their own: 20.5 visits per resident a year at Saint Paul Public Library (IMLS Public Libraries Survey). The typical library here counts 5.0.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey: a year’s visits divided by the people the library serves. Only a library that serves one town (80–125% of its population) and reported its own count is ranked; IMLS estimates never are. A described list: no letters. How grades work

#1

St. Paul

Howard County · 2,416 people
20.5visits

Visits per resident a year·Saint Paul Public Library, FY 2024

#2

Central City

Merrick County · 3,184 people
17.7visits

Visits per resident a year·Central City Public Library, FY 2024

#3

Ashland

Saunders County · 3,483 people
16.9visits

Visits per resident a year·Ashland Public Library, FY 2024

All 41 towns

Visits per resident, highest first.

41 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownVisits per residentPeople servedLibrary
1St. PaulHoward County · 2,416 people20.52,427Saint Paul Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
2Central CityMerrick County · 3,184 people17.73,090Central City Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
3AshlandSaunders County · 3,483 people16.93,367Ashland Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
4ChadronDawes County · 4,975 people14.45,145Chadron Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
5West PointCuming County · 3,411 people10.03,458John A Stahl LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
6ColumbusPlatte County · 25,248 people7.924,464Columbus Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
7CreteSaline County · 7,747 people7.87,488Crete Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
8SewardSeward County · 7,892 people7.37,672Seward Memorial LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
9CozadDawson County · 3,924 people7.13,933Wilson Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
10Broken BowCuster County · 3,507 people7.13,542Broken Bow Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
11O'NeillHolt County · 3,567 people7.03,575O'Neill Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
12PlattsmouthCass County · 6,955 people6.76,808Plattsmouth Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
13AuburnNemaha County · 3,498 people6.23,507Auburn Memorial LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
14PapillionSarpy County · 25,127 people6.123,791Papillion Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
15WahooSaunders County · 5,023 people6.14,987Wahoo Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
16McCookRed Willow County · 7,157 people5.97,253Mccook Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
17Falls CityRichardson County · 3,988 people5.94,045Falls City Library & Arts CenterIMLS, FY 2024
18BlairWashington County · 7,997 people5.87,967Blair Public Library & Technology CenterIMLS, FY 2024
19WayneWayne County · 6,338 people5.46,165Wayne Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
20NorfolkMadison County · 26,677 people5.026,147Norfolk Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
21ScottsbluffScotts Bluff County · 14,259 people5.014,305Lied Scottsbluff Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
22YorkYork County · 8,284 people4.98,180Kilgore Memorial LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
23MindenKearney County · 3,133 people4.93,136Jensen Memorial LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
24KearneyBuffalo County · 34,782 people4.734,362Kearney Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
25La VistaSarpy County · 16,543 people4.516,346La Vista Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
26OgallalaKeith County · 4,698 people4.44,680Kathleen Lute Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
27GothenburgDawson County · 3,430 people4.43,430Gothenburg Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
28Nebraska CityOtoe County · 7,512 people4.27,414Morton-James Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
29FairburyJefferson County · 3,812 people4.13,832Fairbury Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
30GretnaSarpy County · 9,207 people4.09,054Gretna Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
31AllianceBox Butte County · 7,914 people3.88,056Alliance Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
32GeringScotts Bluff County · 8,535 people3.58,531Gering Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
33South Sioux CityDakota County · 14,158 people3.213,856South Sioux City Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
34BeatriceGage County · 12,318 people3.212,262Beatrice Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
35SchuylerColfax County · 6,800 people3.16,529Schuyler Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
36LexingtonDawson County · 11,176 people3.010,816Lexington Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
37BellevueSarpy County · 64,863 people2.063,922Bellevue Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
38Grand IslandHall County · 53,943 people2.052,622Grand Island Public LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
39FremontDodge County · 28,350 people1.927,966Keene Memorial LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
40AuroraHamilton County · 4,787 people1.94,704Alice M Farr LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
41MilfordSeward County · 2,286 people0.92,211Webermeier Memorial LibraryIMLS, FY 2024
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which Nebraska town has the most-used library?

St. Paul (Howard County): Saint Paul Public Library counts 20.5 visits per resident a year. Central City (17.7) and Ashland (16.9) follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By library visits per resident in the IMLS Public Libraries Survey: the visits a town’s own library reported, divided by the population it serves, highest first. It is the same rank as on each town’s Library & civic life page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ with a library of their own that reported its visits (41 in Nebraska). Towns served by a county or regional system share its figure and aren’t ranked one by one; figures IMLS estimated for a library that didn’t report aren’t ranked; in states with strong townships the township, not a village inside it, is ranked. Every town is on the Nebraska page.

Go deeper

More Nebraska lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Nebraska rankings →
Other states

Most-used libraries in other states