Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Waverly is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, 5th among Nebraska's 57 graded towns. The median household earns $112K, CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country, and its schools outperform 81% of the state's. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. Only 10 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Lawson Park, at 37 acres. Only 4 of the 57 Nebraska towns we compare have a higher median household income than Waverly.
Where Waverly beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Waverly | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7% | 12.4% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Waverly Intermediate School | 3–5 | 330 |
| Evelyn Hamlow Elementary | PK–2 | 325 |
| Waverly Middle School | 6–8 | 512 |
3,277 counted in 2010 and 4,279 in 2020; an estimated 4,533 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6% since 2020, after 30.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Waverly is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 132 in 1880, a low of 132 in 1880, 4,279 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 4 maps from 1897 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waverly. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
38 mi Zoo & aquariumOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
11 mi Stadium & arenaPinnacle Bank Arena
13 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
11 mi MuseumSheldon Museum of Art
39 mi MuseumJoslyn Art MuseumMemorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: OmahaZoo, Public domain · Pinnacle Bank Arena: CrunchySkies, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Sheldon Museum of Art: Ammodramus, CC0 · Joslyn Art Museum: akasped, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waverly, 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 Waverly.
Waverly is among the three healthiest towns in Nebraska and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
1.6 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. At 0.7 miles per square mile, Waverly’s trail density is above both the Nebraska town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| Waverly | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lawson Park | 0.7 mi | 37 |
| 2. Aspen Park | 0.5 mi | 12 |
| 3. Jaycee Park | 0.4 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Waverly School District 145. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Waverly High School, with 679 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 512 | B− |
| Waverly High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 679 | B |
| Waverly Intermediate SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 330 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
It ranks #3 of the 57 Nebraska towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Nebraska is tooth loss: 7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.4% statewide.
17% of Waverly adults get no exercise outside work, against 28% in Nebraska’s towns and 25% across U.S. towns. 23% of Waverly adults binge drink. Among 57 Nebraska towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Waverly.
| Waverly | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 28% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 36% |
| What stands out | Waverly | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 12.3% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.9% | 19.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Waverly home is worth about $353,000, up 3.9% in a year, 27% above the Nebraska typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Waverly has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 15° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 31% of residents (25% statewide). 41% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Waverly. Waverly has grown 6% since 2020, to 4,533 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Waverly | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 28% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.6 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Waverly | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19.4% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.8% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.9% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.2% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.4% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.4% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.3% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.8% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.2% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.7% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,500, single groups can be off by several points
Jobs based here grew from 1,944 in 2013 to 2,691.
No town among the 57 in Nebraska we compare has a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Waverly. Jobs based in Waverly grew to 2,691 in 2023, 747 more than in 2013. Waverly’s average trip to work is 24 minutes.
| Waverly | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 0.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 35% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 5.4% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waverly.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
5 within 15 miles of the center of Waverly
About 4 of every 100 Waverly residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
City in Nebraska, United States
Waverly is a city in Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area. The population was 4,279 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.
Yes, by almost any measure. Waverly grades A+ overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #5 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades A for health and A− for schools.
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($75,049 across the Lincoln, NE metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Henry Beachell and Jerome Warner.
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