Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
York gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $217K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the county’s $78K median household income. It grades B overall, 28th among Nebraska's 57 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. 47% of working residents work locally in York, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 8%. York is home to York University. Only 13 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where York beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far York is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,259 in 1880, 8,066 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1898 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in York, 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 York.
York is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Nebraska, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
| York | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Miller Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Easthill Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
| 3. Duke Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the York Public Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is York High School, with 498 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 615 | B |
| York High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 498 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Among 57 Nebraska towns, just 2 have a higher FEMA risk score than York. One flood insurance claim has been paid in York since 2014.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical York home is worth about $217,000, about the same as a year ago, 22% below the Nebraska typical home. York’s median rent is $862 a month.
| York | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $862 a month | $921 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
York has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 15° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,793 working residents takes 9.7 minutes, against 19.2 across Nebraska.
The average trip to work in York is 10 minutes. The top destinations are Lincoln (11%), Omaha (6%) and Grand Island (3%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
| York | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 10 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 5.4% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes rose from 116 to 196 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Nebraska average. York has grown 2.8% since 2020, to 8,284 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Nebraska.
| York | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 38.1 years | 37.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 24% | 22% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across Nebraska, 49.7% of residents are women.
| York | NE | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.9% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 11.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.2% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 13.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.9% | 7.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.8% | 25% | 26% |
| Some college | 22% | 21.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.8% | 11% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Against the 9,618 U.S. towns with household incomes like York’s, it is healthier than 77%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
York beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 74% of York adults had a checkup this year.
| York | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 76% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | York | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.5% | 12.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of York
About 7 of every 100 York residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nebraska.
3 places in York on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in York.
City in and county seat of York County, Nebraska, United States
York is a city in and the county seat of York County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, York had a population of 8,066. It is the home of York University and the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. York grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #28 of 57 in Nebraska. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
York was platted in 1869 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 14 notable people were born here, including Fred Niblo and Doug Bereuter.
