Nebraska’s Safest Cities of 2024

Alina Bradford
Mar 18, 2024
bullet3 min read

Here are the 5 Safest Cities in Nebraska for 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

In our latest State of Safety survey, less than half of Nebraskans (38%) said they worried about their safety, which is less than the average American (47%). This may be because Nebraska's per capita crime rates have been on a downward trajectory.

Last year, we saw a decrease in Nebraska's violent crime rate, while the state's property crime rate went down for the fourth year in a row. The Cornhusker State's top five safest cities reported lower crime rates than the state at large.

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Nebraska crime rates

Nebraska has lower crime rates than the national average.

Image: SafeWise
Crime rates reflect per capita crime rates for Nebraska from our 2023 report. Not enough statewide data to calculate for the 2024 report.

We didn't have enough viable data to calculate statewide crime rates for Nebraska this year. But if the safest cities are any indication, it looks like crime rates may be on the decline statewide.

The collective violent crime rate of the five safest cities is 0.6 incidents per 1,000 people—down from 0.9 last year. For property crime, the safest cities report 6.5 incidents per 1,000 people—down from 8.9 last year. 

Last year, we reported Nebraska's per capita crime rates as 2.5 for violent crime and 15.5 for property crime, which were year over year declines.

Property crime in Nebraska: Fear vs. reality

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

  • 47% of survey respondents say they are highly concerned about property crime (US 52%). Concern grew 12% year over year.
  • More Nebraskans (29%) reported personal experiences with property crime this reporting year compared to last year (19%). That's two points higher than the national average.
  • 39% of participants reported experiencing package theft in the last 12 months, putting Nebraska above the US average of 35%.
  • 4 in 10 respondents (40%) told us they increased their security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%)
  • 20% of people in Nebraska use no form of property protection. This is below the 25% national average.
  • The top form of property protection in Nebraska this year was security cameras with 43% of survey respondents using them. This is a higher adoption rate than the national average of 39%. Guard dogs came in second with 30%. 

What security measures do Nebraskans use most?

Security measures used most in Nebraska: security cameras, guard dogs, firearms.

Image: SafeWise


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What crimes are Nebraska residents concerned about most?

Bar chart showing percentages of how concerned state residents are about crime compared to the national averages for violent crime, property crime, package theft and gun violence.

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Nebraska: Fear vs. reality

Nebraskans feel very safe in their home state compared to most Americans—and it's no surprise that they reported less personal experience with violent crime than last year's survey. Overall, 46% of respondents in The Cornhusker State said they were very worried about violent crime.

  • 60% of Nebraska residents reported feeling safe in their state compared to 45% of Americans. 
  • 10% of Nebraskans reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the last 12 months—down 33% from last year.
  • 40% of survey participants report using some form of personal protection—higher than the US average (36%).
  • Pepper spray is the top pick for personal protection, according to our Nebraska survey participants—55% say they carry it regularly (US 42%).

Attitudes about gun violence in Nebraska

  • 38% of those surveyed named gun violence a safety concern (US 51%). That's down 14% from the year before.
  • 10% of Nebraskans reported having an experience with gun violence (US 12%), matching the level of experience from last year's report.
  • Nebraska experienced 2 mass shootings in 2023,  down 60% from the year before.
  • 4 in 10 of those surveyed (40%) who carry personal protection, carry a concealed firearm (US 41%).
  • Around 3 in 10 of those surveyed (29%) who use security measures at home rely on firearms (US 28%).

A closer look at the safest cities in Nebraska

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.

  • Nebraska’s safest city, Schuyler, tops the list for the second consecutive year.
  • Seward held on to its title as the third-safest city in Nebraska for the second year in a row.
  • Holdrege and Blair are new this year to the top 5 safest cities in Nebraska.
  • Every safest city reported 1.1 or fewer violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
  • Every safest city reported fewer than 9 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
  • The top 5 cities reported zero murders.
  • Norfolk is the largest city on the list with nearly 20,000 more residents than every other safest city.
  • Schuyler is the only city to report zero rapes and zero burglaries.

The 5 safest cities in Nebraska

Image: SafeWise

Schuyler, NE map
#1
Schuyler
(
-0-
)
  • bullet
    Population
    6,476
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.2, 0.5, 0.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.1, 2.6, 3.3
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#2
Holdrege
(
New
)
  • bullet
    Population
    5,469
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.1, N/A, 1.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.3, N/A, 9.6
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Seward, NE map
#3
Seward
(
-0-
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,695
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, 1.4, 0.3
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.7, 7.4, 6.1
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Norfolk, NE map
#4
Norfolk
(
-2
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    25,048
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, 1.0, 1.2
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    8.1, 8.5, 13.0
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Blair, NE map
#5
Blair
(
+1
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    7,855
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, 1.5, 1.4
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    8.9, 7.9, 8.0
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Get a home security system

Find out which companies we recommend for every budget and lifestyle in our roundup of the Best Home Security Systems—and learn the basics with our guide on Everything You Need to Know About Home Security

Find security and safety resources in your area

Find the safest cities in each state

Click on the state image or dropdown menu below to check out the safest cities for each state.

Related articles on SafeWise


Endnotes and sources

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

  • 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.

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Alina Bradford
Written by
Alina Bradford
Alina is a safety and security expert that has contributed her insights to CNET, CBS, Digital Trends, MTV, Top Ten Reviews, and many others. Her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying one article at a time. In the early 2000s, Alina worked as a volunteer firefighter, earning her first responder certification and paving the way to her current career. Her activities aren’t nearly as dangerous today. Her hobbies include fixing up her 100-year-old house, doing artsy stuff, and going to the lake with her family.

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