Nebraska’s Safest Cities of 2026

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our State of Safety survey respondents and official FBI data, crime seems to be increasing across Nebraska. But the statewide data doesn't tell the whole story. Most of Nebraska's 10 safest cities show impressive year-over-year declines in violent crime and property crime. 

In addition, Nebraskans continue to report low levels of concern about crime, and they're among those most likely to say they feel safe in their state. 

The violent crime rate in Nebraska is 2.89 incidents per 1,000 people, which is higher than the national average of 4.43. We weren't able to report a statewide violent crime rate over the last two years due to insufficient data, but in our 2023 report, Nebraska reported a slightly lower violent crime rate of 2.5.

Property crime in The Cornhusker State also increased in recent years, jumping from 15.5 incidents per 1,000 people in 2023 to 24.14 incidents in this year's report. That's higher than the national property crime rate of 22.89. 

Nebraskans continue to report some of the highest confidence levels nationwide, with 70% saying they feel safe in their state. That's just a hair lower than last year's percentage of 71%, and second only to New Hampshire (71%) in this year's survey.

On the flip side, 32% of Nebraskans say they worry about crime and safety on a daily basis, which is the second-lowest percentage in the country. 

Nebraskans we surveyed told us they experienced more property crime year over year, but they're less concerned about it than they were last year.  

• 42% of survey respondents say they are highly concerned about property crime, down from 49% the previous year (US 46%).
• The percentage of Nebraskans who experienced property crime in the 12 months prior to our survey increased from 23% to 27% year over year (US 21%).
• 35% of Nebraskans say they worry about package theft, down significantly from 48% the year before (US 44%). 
• 29% of participants reported experiencing package theft in the last 12 months, down slightly from 30% the year prior (US 31%). 
• 26% of respondents told us they increased their security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 32%).
• Nebraska residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (44%), guard dogs (30%), and firearms (26%).

The percentage of Nebraskans who worry about violent crime on a daily basis has decreased year over year, and it's still one of the lowest percentages nationwide. Meanwhile, Nebraskans's first-hand experiences with violent crime doubled year over year.

• 16% of Nebraskans reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the last 12 months, a dramatic increase from 8% the previous year (US 12%). 
• The percentage of Nebraskans who feel concerned about violent crime decreased from 51% to 41% year over year (US 55%). 
• Residents in only 3 other states feel less concerned about violent crime: Wyoming (35%), South Dakota (38%), and New Hampshire (39%). 
• 23% of survey participants report using some form of personal protection.
• Nebraskans prefer to protect themselves with pocket knives (61%), firearms (48%), and pepper spray (35%). 

• 8% of Nebraskans reported having an experience with gun violence in the 12 months prior to our survey, up from 5% the year before (US 9%).
• 44% of those surveyed named gun violence a daily safety concern, down from 54% the year before (US 55%).
• Nebraskans are among those least likely to worry about gun violence in America. Only residents of five states report lower levels of concern.
• Nebraska experienced 3 mass shootings in 2025, up from 1 the year before.

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 24 cities met the criteria for ranking this year.
• Plattsmouth rose from #2 to become this year's safest city in Nebraska. Meanwhile, last year's winner Seward dropped to #2. 
• Beatrice and Papillion held on to the #3 and #4 spots, respectively.  
• 80% of Nebraska's safest cities saw year-over-year decreases in both violent crime and property crime.
• Our data shows that violent crime and property crime rates have been steadily declining in Plattsmouth since 2023 — a rare feat. 
• Property crime and violent crime rates have declined in Beatrice for the last two years. 
• La Vista, Nebraska City, and Bellevue lowered their property crime rates by about 30% year over year. 
• 1 murder was reported in Nebraska's 10 safest cities. It happened in Beatrice.
• Plattsmouth, Beatrice, and McCook reported no rapes.
• 70% of Nebraska's safest cities reported zero robberies.

• 100 Safest Cities in the U.S.
• Burglary Stats & Facts
• Essential Home Security Systems Guide for 2026