Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 229, settled in 1870.
Saline County Bank is on the National Register of Historic Places. Western has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 397 in 1890, a peak of 511 in 1930, 227 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Western, 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 Western.
17% never finished high school. Nebraska has just over a third of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 28%. Adults 35 to 64 are 53% of residents (36% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (23% statewide).
| Western | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.3 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 28% | 29% |
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.2 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| Western | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.1% | 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 | 8.4% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 25.1% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 16.6% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.7% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 13% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.4% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Among 58 Nebraska towns, just one has a higher mean commuting time than Western. 5.1% of Western residents live below the poverty line, below both the Nebraska town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). In addition, the town’s median household income stands at $54,000. For half of commuters, work is under 26 miles away.
| Western | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Western’s FEMA risk score comes in at 78 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Western once, in 2004. 31% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hail, followed by inland flooding at 30%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.2% in value. For households in Western, the share who are owner-occupiers is 91%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Western, the peak summer temperature is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Western, 17% of adults have been diagnosed with depression, and 29% feel lonely. Of 32 CDC measures, Western beats the Nebraska average on 4 and trails it on 8. Western: 38% of adults have high blood pressure. Also worth knowing: among 58 Nebraska towns, just one has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Western.
| Western | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Western | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.7% | 9.5% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.5% | 6.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.1 miles of trail. For Western, the trail network density is 0.2 miles per square mile. This Nebraska town has one park or preserve, 3 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Western City Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Western; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Western residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Western’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Nebraska, United States
Western is a village in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 224 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.
Western has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.