Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sidney is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 52nd of 57 graded towns in Nebraska, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: homes are within reach, about $175K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the county’s $60K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $55K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. 56% of working residents work locally in Sidney, above both Nebraska’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 4 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score lower on hazard risk. Sidney is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns.
Where Sidney beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Sidney Carnegie LibraryEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Sidney is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,069 in 1880, 6,410 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sidney, 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 Sidney.
Sidney is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has home values climbing faster than Nebraska’s and is safe by national standards but not by Nebraska’s.
Home values rose 46% in five years, to about $175K, against 26% across Nebraska.
Typical home values rose 6.8% in the year to September 2026. 58% of households own their home in Sidney.
| Sidney | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $819 a month | $921 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Sidney Public Schools. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Sidney High School, with 329 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Ward Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–3 | Grades 1–3 | 261 | – |
| Sidney High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 329 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Sidney since 1978.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sidney has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Sidney’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 4,410 in 2013 to 2,955.
The average trip to work in Sidney is 13 minutes. Jobs based in Sidney fell to 2,955 in 2023, 1,455 fewer than in 2013. Among 57 Nebraska towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Sidney.
| Sidney | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 5.4% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2.1 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Legion Park, at 23 acres.
| Sidney | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 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. Sidney Legion Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
| 2. Legion Park | — | 23 |
| 3. Living Memorial Gardens | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 20.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 69% of Nebraska’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 124 to 66 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 7,334 U.S. towns with household incomes like Sidney’s, it is healthier than 82%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Sidney beats the Nebraska average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 31% of Sidney adults get no exercise outside work.
| Sidney | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 28% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
| What stands out | Sidney | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 6.1% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 31% | 24.3% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.9% | 3.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Sidney; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Sidney residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
5 places in Sidney on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Sidney.
City in Nebraska, United States
Sidney is a city in and the county seat of Cheyenne County, Nebraska, United States. The city is nine miles (14 km) north of the Colorado state line. The population was 6,410 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.
Sidney grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #52 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades B− for health, B− for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
4 notable people were born here, including Dan Chaon and Ken Ramos.
