Valley, Nebraska, 2012
Valley’s story
162 years in pictures
Census counts: 42 in 1880, 3,037 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
- 1864Valley is laid out
Population
3,412
2025 Census estimate · +12.4% since 2020
Typical home
$536K
+6.2% in a year
Household income
$110K
median
Median age
50.2
years
Jobs based here
3,623
A job hub
TownGrade
A
#12 of 57 in NE
Is Valley a good place to live?
Valley grades A overall, 12th of 57 graded towns in Nebraska, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $110K. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 89% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $536K, 6.3 years of the Omaha metro’s $85K median household income. On walkability, just 10 of Nebraska’s 132 towns do worse.
What makes Valley stand out
Where Valley beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here3,623
Residents who work1,420
Work
2.6 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 97% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Valley0.3
Nebraska2.2
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
86% less violent crime than NE
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
32 measures vs. Nebraska
14 better16 too close to call2 worse
| Widest gap | Valley | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 9.9% |
HealthA
Beats NE on 14 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 2
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Valley has grown 82% since 2010
1,875 counted in 2010 and 3,037 in 2020; an estimated 3,412 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 12.4% since 2020, after 62% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Valley is from typical.
SafetyAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →HealthCHI Health Lakeside 11.2 miles awayAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 5.3% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsCOpen →HistoryLaid out 1864; 2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3.5 library visits per resident; 5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 50.2; 51% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Valley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Valley, and how to reach them.
PowerOmaha Public Power District13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Valley water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet11 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpHire your ownNo town pickup: you hire a private haulerTown site
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 hereDouglas Election CommissionerDouglas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2025
ZIP code6806468064 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 Valley.
Valley has a longer frost-free season than almost anywhere else in Nebraska and draws workers from Omaha and beyond, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Nebraska.
HousingCost of living grade C
Valley’s grade for cost of living is a C
At 6.3 years of the Omaha metro’s $85K median household income, the typical home (about $536K) costs more against local pay than in any other Nebraska town; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $7,527, against $3,549 across Nebraska, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 6.2% in the year to September 2026.
$536KZillow home value
| Valley | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 74% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $962 a month | $907 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Valley$536K
Nebraska$278K
+6.2%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB+
Public schools in Valley beat 68% of Nebraska districts
Its public schools are run by the Douglas Co West Community Schs school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Douglas Co West High School, with 326 students.
68%of NE districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Co West Elementary SCHLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 537 | B− |
| Douglas Co West High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 326 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
SafetyA
Valley’s grade for safety is an A
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
Valley’s property crime rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents, against 8 in Nebraska’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. The violent crime rate in Valley is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
94%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Valley | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Valley0.3
Nebraska2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Valley2.9
Nebraska14
U.S.15.5
94th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
99th
percentile among NE towns
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
More than half of Valley’s working residents commute to Omaha
3,623 jobs are based in Valley, 2.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 28.5 minutes, against 19.2 across Nebraska.
Most working residents leave Valley for work: only 14% work in town. Valley’s average trip to work is 29 minutes, above both Nebraska’s towns (17 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). 5.3% of Valley residents live below the poverty line.
14%work in town
| Valley | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $110,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 35% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.3% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Valley14%
Omaha56%
Lincoln3%
Fremont3%
Gretna2%
14 mi
median commute distance
3,623
jobs based in Valley
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 22% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthA
Compared with most of Nebraska and the rest of the country, fewer of Valley’s adults feel lonely
Its widest gap with Nebraska is no health insurance: 6.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 9.9% statewide.
26% of adults feel lonely in Valley. Only 2 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Valley. 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Valley.
89%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Valley | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 28% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
14 better16 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Valley | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.7% | 12.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.3% |
CHI Health Lakeside
11.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
93rd
percentile among NE towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
#19for trails in NE
0%
conserved · 0 of 4,111 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valley City Park | 0.2 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Valley, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
The Valley Nws weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 187 days, the highest of 913 Nebraska places with climate records.
Valley has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 14° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer63–85°
Fall41–64°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
High risk in Valley, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 166 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Valley.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
166
paid flood claims since 1978
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 36 attractions →Memorial Stadium and 35 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Valley. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
24 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
38 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills
21 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
39 mi Stadium & arenaPinnacle Bank Arena
22 mi MuseumJoslyn Art MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Memorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Loess Hills: Bill Whittaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Pinnacle Bank Arena: CrunchySkies, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Valley
20pages on Valley
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 68% of NE districts · 4 schoolsSafetyA0.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than NE on 14 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC$536K typical home · up 6.2% in a yearWork & commuteA$110K median household income · 3,623 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Valley
About 4 of every 100 Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
A job hub
Every workday, about 3,428 people come to Valley for work
Where Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,623jobs based in Valley
14%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Valley
City in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
Valley is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,037 at the 2020 census. Valley is also home to the area's National Weather Service office, serving portions of eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,142 ft
- ZIP code
- 68064
- Area code
- 402
Valley’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Valley.
Leshara TownshipKing LakeValley
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NE rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley | #12 | A | C | A | B+ | A |
| Leshara Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| King Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Leshara Township and King Lake aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Valley with a neighbor →
Questions about Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Valley, NE a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Valley grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #12 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades A for health, A for safety and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Valley, NE expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
What is Valley, NE known for?
Valley was laid out in 1864. 2 notable people were born here, including James Moeller and Melvin Randolph Gilmore.