Waco, Nebraska downtown 1, 2011
Waco’s story
149 years in pictures
Census counts: 173 in 1880, 296 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
- 1877Waco is settled
WacoNE
A town of 312, settled in 1877.
Population
312
2025 Census estimate · +5.8% since 2020
Typical home
$183K
+3.1% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
59.5
years
Jobs based here
21
A commuter town
Is Waco a good place to live?
Waco’s median age is 59.5 years, against 37.5 years in Nebraska’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. No town among the 58 in Nebraska we compare has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Waco. Waco has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
312 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Waco: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waco, and how to reach them.
PowerPerennial Public Power Dist10.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Waco water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Waco’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 hereYork County ClerkYork County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6846068460 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 Waco.
Who lives here
Waco skews older than Nebraska
30% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 35% across Nebraska. People 65 and older are 38% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (25% statewide). Also worth knowing: 312 people lived in Waco by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 5.8% more than in 2020.
59.5median age · NE 37.2
WacoNebraskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school27%
Some college19%
Associate’s22%
Bachelor’s11%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.8 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Waco | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.6% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.6% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.9% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 23% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.6% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.1% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.8% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 21.5% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.1% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.8% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Lutheran School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades 1–8 | Grades 1–8 | 23 | – |
| Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 60 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Top of a very high hazard risk in Waco: hail
Only 3 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher risk rating from FEMA than Waco. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 44% come from hail and 21% from strong winds. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Waco once, in 2005.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailStrong windInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
A typical Waco home is worth about $183K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.1%.
$183KZillow home value
Typical home value
Waco$183K
Nebraska$278K
+3.1%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Waco stands out in Nebraska and nationally: a smaller share of its residents live below the poverty line
For Waco, the mean commuting time is 21 minutes. The top destinations are York (30%), Lincoln (13%) and Omaha (6%). In Waco, the middle household income is $76,000, where Nebraska’s towns sit at $69,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
0%work in town
| Waco | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Waco0%
York30%
Lincoln13%
Omaha6%
Aurora4%
19 mi
median commute distance
21
jobs based in Waco
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Waco brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 15° on a January night to 87° on a July afternoon, with about 21 inches of snow a winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–37°
Spring39–62°
Summer63–85°
Fall41–64°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Waco is
The share of adults in Waco who sleep under 7 hours: 30%. Against the Nebraska average, Waco comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1.
| Waco | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
1 better30 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Waco | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 68.7% | 62.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.3% |
York General Health Care Services
7.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waco
17pages on Waco
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Waco
About 1 of every 100 Waco residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Waco for work
Where Waco’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
21jobs based in Waco
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Waco
Village in York County, Nebraska, United States
Waco is a village in York County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Waco had a population of 296.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,621 ft
- ZIP code
- 68460
- Area code
- 402
Questions about Waco
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Waco, NE a good place to live?
Waco has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.