Big Blue River Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Read Township’s story
Read Township in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Read TownshipNE
A town of 178.
2 bordering townsMap →
Big Blue River Bridge · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Population
178
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Median home value
$244K
Census ACS
Household income
$122K
median
Median age
44.2
years
Jobs based here
89
Balanced
Is Read Township a good place to live?
Big Blue River Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Read Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
178 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Reading TownshipUlysses TownshipRead Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Read Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Read Township, and how to reach them.
PowerButler Public Power District11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Read Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsDavid City Public SchoolsShelby-Rising City Public SchoolsCentennial Public Schools3 districts serve Read Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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.govWho runs elections hereButler County ClerkButler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes68667, 68669, 68662, 6865868667 54% · 68669 40% · 68662 4% · 68658 2%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 Read Township.
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Read Township
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
24″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–36°
Spring38–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall40–64°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
A smaller share of residents in Read Township live below the poverty line than in the typical Nebraska or U.S. town
Only 2 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher income of the median household than Read Township. In Read Township, 2.8% of working residents work locally, against 34% in Nebraska’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 73, to 89. Its typical journey to work comes in at 17 minutes.
3%work in town
| Read Township | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 34% | 8% |
| Median household income | $122,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Read Township3%
Lincoln25%
David City10%
Brainard6%
Omaha5%
32 mi
median commute distance
89
jobs based in Read Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Read Township: hail
Of the losses FEMA expects in Read Township, 36% come from hail and 20% from inland flooding. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 63% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2009, has brought federal aid to Read Township households.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingStrong wind
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A smaller share of adults report frequent mental distress in Read Township than in most of Nebraska or the rest of the country
In Read Township, 38% of adults have obesity, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 40% and U.S. towns at 35%. For adults locally, the share who feel lonely is 27%. Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Read Township. The town does better than the Nebraska average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 5.
| Read Township | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
9 better18 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Read Township | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.1% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.3% |
Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center
13.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Read Township is conserved land
Across 1 park or preserve: 0.1 miles of trail. One park or preserve covers 17 acres in Read Township.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 22,994 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chautauqua Park | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Read Township
17pages on Read Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Read Township; the nearest are
Concordia University-NebraskaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Seward16.8 mi$40,640 tuitionUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnUniversity or college · Public · Lincoln37.1 mi$10,434 in-state tuitionSoutheast Community College AreaCommunity college · Public · Lincoln41.6 mi$3,690 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Read Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
About Read Township
Township in Nebraska, United States
Read Township is one of seventeen townships in Butler County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 179 at the 2020 census. A 2021 estimate placed the township's population at 180. The Village of Surprise lies within the Township close to the Surprise Township. The Big Blue River flows throughout the Township and under a bridge on Miller Street in the Village of Surprise.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,611 ft
Questions about Read Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Read Township, NE a good place to live?
Read Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.