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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Nebraska where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Gretna, NE
- Papillion, NE
- Chalco, NE
- Seward, NE
- Gering, NE
- Kearney, NE
- Columbus, NE
- La Vista, NE
- Holdrege, NE
- Blair, NE
These are the happiest places in Nebraska. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Nebraska?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 33 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Gretna
Population: 5,037
Earners Over $75k: 54.3%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 31.0%
Gretna is the happiest city in all of Nebraska. What makes Gretna residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Gretna resident only drives 21.7 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Gretna residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Papillion
Population: 20,466
Earners Over $75k: 53.5%
Average Commute: 19
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
In 2nd place we have Papillion. Residents of Papillion are highly educated, with an impressive 40.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Papillion have plenty of them.
3. Chalco
Population: 11,456
Earners Over $75k: 52.4%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 32.0%
Chalco is the third happiest city in Nebraska. Why so happy? 32.0% of Chalco residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Seward
Population: 7,151
Earners Over $75k: 42.6%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 33.0%
Folks in Seward have a lot to smile about. An impressive 42.6% of Seward households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Seward can afford peace of mind.
5. Gering
Population: 8,312
Earners Over $75k: 37.2%
Average Commute: 15
Marriage Rate: 35.0%
Gering is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Gering residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Nebraska city is only $133,600), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Kearney
Population: 33,273
Earners Over $75k: 35.1%
Average Commute: 12
Marriage Rate: 30.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Kearney a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 35.1% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Kearney home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Columbus
Population: 22,992
Earners Over $75k: 37.6%
Average Commute: 12
Marriage Rate: 35.0%
Columbus is the 7th happiest city. Columbus residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 12.1 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. La Vista
Population: 17,077
Earners Over $75k: 43.6%
Average Commute: 17
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
La Vista residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Holdrege
Population: 5,476
Earners Over $75k: 32.9%
Average Commute: 12
Marriage Rate: 44.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Nebraska is Holdrege. The average commute in Holdrege is only 12.2 minutes. That means they are only 12.2 minutes away from the loving spouse 44.0% of them have.
10. Blair
Population: 7,684
Earners Over $75k: 31.5%
Average Commute: 18
Marriage Rate: 33.0%
In 10th place is Blair, Nebraska. What makes Blair so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Nebraska
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gretna | 54.3% |
| 2 | Papillion | 53.5% |
| 3 | Chalco | 52.4% |
| 4 | Seward | 42.6% |
| 5 | Gering | 37.2% |
| 6 | Kearney | 35.1% |
| 7 | Columbus | 37.6% |
| 8 | La Vista | 43.6% |
| 9 | Holdrege | 32.9% |
| 10 | Blair | 31.5% |
| 11 | Sidney | 37.6% |
| 12 | Chadron | 28.0% |
| 13 | Omaha | 37.4% |
| 14 | York | 30.7% |
| 15 | Lincoln | 35.8% |
| 16 | Norfolk | 30.4% |
| 17 | Grand Island | 32.0% |
| 18 | Bellevue | 40.6% |
| 19 | Ralston | 36.3% |
| 20 | North Platte | 29.6% |
| 21 | Alliance | 32.2% |
| 22 | Fremont | 28.9% |
| 23 | Wayne | 33.1% |
| 24 | Scottsbluff | 24.7% |
| 25 | Hastings | 30.2% |
| 26 | Mccook | 25.8% |
| 27 | South Sioux City | 28.8% |
| 28 | Schuyler | 33.0% |
| 29 | Lexington | 27.9% |
| 30 | Nebraska City | 23.4% |
| 31 | Beatrice | 25.0% |
| 32 | Crete | 20.9% |
| 33 | Plattsmouth | 23.1% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
