Syracuse, Nebraska downtown 1, 2012
Syracuse’s story
169 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1857Syracuse is settled
SyracuseNE
A town of 2,006, settled in 1857. 69% more library visits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Population
2,006
2025 Census estimate · +3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$270K
+4.2% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
41.5
years
Jobs based here
793
Balanced
Is Syracuse a good place to live?
Syracuse’s best subject grades are an A for schools and cost of living and an A− for walkability. No town among the 58 in Nebraska we compare has a higher share of residents 65 or older than Syracuse. Syracuse’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Syracuse's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns. Syracuse has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Syracuse stand out
Where Syracuse beats most towns.
Library visits per resident
Syracuse8.2
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical NE town4.9
Civic lifeA+
69% more library visits per person
than the typical Nebraska town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
SYRACUSE-DUNBAR-AVOCA SCHOOLS
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School at Syracuse | PK–3 | 277 |
| Middle School at Syracuse | 4–8 | 286 |
| High School at Syracuse | 9–12 | 228 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Typical home value
Syracuse$270K
Nebraska$278K
Cost of livingA
3.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 91% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
How Syracuse grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Syracuse is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 7.1% of households have no car; 7.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →HealthHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns; CHI Health St. Mary's 15.8 miles awayBOpen →Jobs & income$72K median household income; 793 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsBOpen →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life8.2 library visits per resident; 9.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Syracuse: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Syracuse, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of SyracuseEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Syracuse water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Syracuse’s trash rules yet
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 hereOtoe County ClerkOtoe County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2020
ZIP code6844668446 100%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 Syracuse.
SchoolsA
Syracuse’s schools rank ahead of 94% of Nebraska districts
Its public schools are run by the Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Schools. Its three schools are below.
94%of NE districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School at SyracuseLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 286 | A− |
| High School at SyracuseLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 228 | A |
| Elementary School at SyracuseTop results in townGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 277 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
Older than Nebraska overall
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (36% statewide). Syracuse has grown 3.2% since 2020, to 2,006 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Syracuse’s median age is 41.5 years, above the Nebraska town median (37.5 years) and near the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years).
41.5median age · NE 37.2
| Syracuse | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
SyracuseNebraskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school31%
Some college21%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.7 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Syracuse | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.7% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.6% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.2% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.1% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.7% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.7% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.1% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.4% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Syracuse has four seasons and pleasant summers
Syracuse has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 15° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
26″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–38°
Spring40–63°
Summer64–85°
Fall42–65°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Syracuse has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Syracuse for work: only 19% work in town. The average trip to work in Syracuse is 25 minutes. The top destinations are Lincoln (25%), Omaha (11%) and Nebraska City (7%).
19%work in town
| Syracuse | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Syracuse19%
Lincoln25%
Omaha11%
Nebraska City7%
Tecumseh3%
26 mi
median commute distance
793
jobs based in Syracuse
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
79% of adults in Syracuse had a checkup this year, against 76% in Nebraska’s towns and 79% across U.S. towns
No town among the 58 in Nebraska we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Syracuse. 28% of Syracuse adults sleep under 7 hours. Syracuse beats the Nebraska average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
60%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Syracuse | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
6 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Syracuse | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 9.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.3% |
CHI Health St. Mary's
15.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Syracuse, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Syracuse.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
3
paid flood claims since 1982
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
The median rent in Syracuse is lower than in the typical Nebraska or U.S. town
Syracuse’s median rent is $573 a month. The typical Syracuse home is worth about $270,000, up 4.2% in a year, close to the Nebraska typical home. 79% of households own their home in Syracuse.
$270KZillow home value
| Syracuse | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $573 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 67% | 73% |
Typical home value
Syracuse$270K
Nebraska$278K
+4.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 817 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Williams Park | — | 13 |
| 2. South Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Syracuse
19pages on Syracuse
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Syracuse; the nearest are
Southeast Community College AreaCommunity college · Public · Lincoln24.4 mi$3,690 in-state tuitionPeru State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Peru27 mi$8,640 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Syracuse residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Questions about Syracuse
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Syracuse, NE a good place to live?
69% more library visits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Is Syracuse, NE expensive?
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.