Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Among 51 Nebraska towns, just one has a higher typical home value than Waterloo. J. C. Robinson House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Waterloo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Waterloo beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 164 in 1880, 935 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waterloo. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
19 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
39 mi Park & preserveLoess Hills
19 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
18 mi MuseumJoslyn Art Museum
39 mi Stadium & arenaPinnacle Bank ArenaMemorial 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 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0 · Pinnacle Bank Arena: CrunchySkies, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waterloo, 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 Waterloo.
Only 3 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher going rate for rent than Waterloo. The share of households in Waterloo who live in a home they own is 71%, above the Nebraska town median (67%) and near the median of U.S. towns (73%).
| Waterloo | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,300 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The risk rating from FEMA for Waterloo comes to 84 of 100, against 55 of 100 in Nebraska’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Paid flood insurance claims here since 1978: 8. 64% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 14%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Waterloo after 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In July, afternoons reach 87°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Waterloo for work: only 4% work in town. The average trip to work for Waterloo comes to 23 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 24, to 451. The top destinations are Omaha (57%), Valley (7%) and Lincoln (4%).
| Waterloo | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 12% | 5.4% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Waterloo is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
7.4% of Waterloo adults worry about having enough food. This Nebraska town does better than the Nebraska average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1. Two figures for adults here: 17% get no exercise outside work, 9.5% report frequent physical distress. Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Waterloo.
| Waterloo | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 28% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.8% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Waterloo | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 12.3% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.5% | 19.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Syngenta Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Waterloo Memorial Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
6 within 15 miles of the center of Waterloo
About 4 of every 100 Waterloo residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Village in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
Waterloo is a village in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 935 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.
Waterloo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
