Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,635, settled in 1882. 55% more nonprofits per person than the typical Nebraska town.
Valentine gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $222K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the county’s $66K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 23rd of 57 in Nebraska. On the plus side, its schools outperform 82% of the state's. 46% of working residents work locally in Valentine, against 33% in Nebraska’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 11 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score higher on hazard risk. Valentine's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Where Valentine beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine Elementary School | PK–4 | 285 |
| Zion Lutheran School | PK–7 | 20 |
| Valentine Middle School | 5–8 | 159 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Valentine is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 811 in 1900, 2,633 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Valentine, 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 Valentine.
Valentine pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values falling while Nebraska’s rise.
Its A− for schools comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $222K.
Its public schools are run by the Valentine Community Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valentine Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 285 | A− |
| Valentine High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 158 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Valentine has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Valentine is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Values fell 6% in the past year while the Nebraska typical home rose 3%. The typical value, about $222K, is 9% below its May 2025 peak.
Typical home values fell 6% in the year to September 2026. 62% of Valentine households own their home.
| Valentine | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $892 a month | $921 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Valentine’s average trip to work is 15 minutes. Since 2013, Valentine has lost 111 jobs, to 1,439 in 2023. Valentine’s median household income is $57,000.
| Valentine | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (36% statewide). 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Nebraska.
| Valentine | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.2 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 28% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.4 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Valentine | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.1% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.7% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.2% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.3% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.9% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.8% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
Only 2 of the 45 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than Valentine.
| Valentine | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.6 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Valentine State Fish Hatchery, at 40 acres.
| Valentine | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.6% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valentine State Fish Hatchery | — | 40 |
| 2. Ecology Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Colburn Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 7,990 U.S. towns with household incomes like Valentine’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Valentine beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 17% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Valentine. Among 57 Nebraska towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Valentine.
| Valentine | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Valentine | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 77.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Valentine; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 Valentine residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
5 places in Valentine on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Nebraska, United States
Valentine is a city in and the county seat of Cherry County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,633 at the 2020 census. It is the hometown of former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Valentine grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #23 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools.
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−.
