Wausa, Nebraska Broadway 01 Bill's Place, 2010
Wausa’s story
144 years in pictures
Census counts: 441 in 1900, 592 in 2020. The archive holds 19 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1882Wausa is settled
WausaNE
Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Population
579
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$207K
+6.5% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
46.5
years
Jobs based here
272
Balanced
Is Wausa a good place to live?
Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a higher share of residents 65 or older than Wausa. Wausa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Wausa stand out
Where Wausa beats most towns.
Small town
579 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 Wausa: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wausa, and how to reach them.
PowerCedar-Knox Public Power Dist9.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Wausa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wausa’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 hereKnox County ClerkKnox County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6878668786 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 Wausa.
Who lives here
Wausa skews older than Nebraska
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just 2 have a lower share of children under 18 than Wausa. People 65 and older are 27% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 19% of residents (25% statewide). In Wausa, the age of the median resident is 46.5 years, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 37.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years.
46.5median age · NE 37.2
| Wausa | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.5 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 28% | 29% |
WausaNebraskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school27%
Some college25%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
60% women, 40% men
About 66 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.6 points). Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Wausa | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.7% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.5% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.9% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.2% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.4% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.4% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.5% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Housing
A typical Wausa home is worth about $207K
In Wausa, the typical rent is $763 a month, against $914 a month in Nebraska’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Values rose 6.5% in the 12 months to September 2026. Only 5 of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Wausa.
$207KZillow home value
| Wausa | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $763 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Wausa$207K
Nebraska$278K
+6.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Wausa has snowy winters and pleasant summers
No town among the 58 in Nebraska we compare has a lower July high than Wausa. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 11° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–33°
Spring36–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall38–61°
Oct 6
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Wausa has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Nearly two fifths of Wausa’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 16%. Compared with nearly two thirds of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Federal aid has come to Wausa households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019.
65risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
About one in eight working residents works right in Wausa
Most working residents leave Wausa for work: only 12% work in town. The share of residents in Wausa who live below the poverty line: 4%. Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles. Its typical journey to work stands at 22 minutes.
12%work in town
| Wausa | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wausa12%
Bloomfield17%
Norfolk6%
Yankton5%
Creighton4%
19 mi
median commute distance
272
jobs based in Wausa
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Wausa is
Wausa beats the Nebraska average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Wausa. 16% of adults have been diagnosed with depression here.
| Wausa | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
7 better18 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Wausa | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7% | 9.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.9% | 6.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.9% | 8.3% |
Osmond General Hospital
11.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wausa
17pages on Wausa
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wausa; the nearest are
Mount Marty UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Yankton, SD26.8 mi$34,600 tuitionNortheast Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Norfolk31.9 mi$3,840 in-state tuitionWayne State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Wayne32.1 mi$8,216 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Wausa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
About Wausa
Village in Nebraska, United States
Wausa is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wausa had a population of 592.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1882
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,765 ft
- ZIP code
- 68786
Questions about Wausa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wausa, NE a good place to live?
Wausa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.