City · Box Butte County, Nebraska

Alliance, Nebraska

Alliance is a city in Box Butte County, Nebraska. It has 8,075 residents. Alliance, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 50 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,877 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Nebraska it ranks #116 of 119 cities and towns. It ranks best on average commute time (low), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low) and drug overdose deaths (low). It ranks worst on distance to an airport (high), drought exposure (high) and public EV charging ports (low).

50Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,877 of 15,651 cities and towns
Nebraska: #116 of 119 in NE
Population: 8,075 (2020-2024)
Land area: 5 mi²
Density: 1,649.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 3100905

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety33#10,428/15,637
Economy41#9,300/15,631
Housing68#4,867/14,977
Health45#8,584/15,609
Healthcare42#9,021/15,650
Environment70#4,686/15,453
Education31#10,754/15,649
Infrastructure40#9,329/15,650
Community80#3,184/15,651
Leisure & amenities50#7,811/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Alliance, Nebraska ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Box Butte County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Average commute time · low10.6 min
100/100Nebraska 19.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.0 µg/m³
99/100Nebraska 5.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyBox Butte County value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Nebraska 6.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100k2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionBox Butte County value
Loneliness · low31.4%
98/100Nebraska 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Social associations · high15.9 /10k
93/100Nebraska 13.4 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBox Butte County value
Grocery stores · high2.9 /10k
93/100Nebraska 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBox Butte County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high182 mi
1/100Nebraska 65 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBox Butte County value
Drought exposure · high100%
2/100Nebraska 61%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAABox Butte County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Nebraska 3.9 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyBox Butte County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Nebraska 7.2United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBox Butte County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Nebraska 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBox Butte County value
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
4/100Nebraska 11.3 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauBox Butte County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateImproving
15.3% (2015-2019) → 3.1% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.3% (2015-2019) → 88.5% (2020-2024)
+7.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$48,805 (2015-2019) → $65,160 (2020-2024)
+34%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Average commute timeWorsening
8.3 min (2015-2019) → 10.6 min (2020-2024)
+28%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
High school diploma or higherImproving
89.5% (2015-2019) → 93.9% (2020-2024)
+4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Unemployment rateImproving
5.9% (2015-2019) → 2.0% (2020-2024)
−4 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Alliance, Nebraska improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Household income+34%$48,805 → $65,160
Broadband+7.2 points81.3% → 88.5%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Alliance, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	8.3 min2015-2019	10.6 min2020-2024	+2.3 min	Within the margin of error	25%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.9%2015-2019	18.1%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Broadband subscriptions	81.3%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Improved	45%
Effective property tax rate	1.63%2015-2019	1.38%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	68%
High school diploma or higher	89.5%2015-2019	93.9%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	60%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3912015-2019	0.3982020-2024	+0.007	Within the margin of error	45%
Median household income	$48,8052015-2019	$65,1602020-2024	+34%	Improved	62%
Poverty rate	15.2%2015-2019	12.8%2020-2024	−2.5 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent-burdened households	45.7%2015-2019	48.8%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.2%2015-2019	6.6%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	65%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Alliance, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Alliance, Nebraska in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Alliance, Nebraska itself moved −0.7 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

8,075 residents (±36)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39
20–29†
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (−3.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

8,075 residents (±36)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

White78%6,283
Black0.2%†15
Hispanic or Latino12%1,003

Education

5,693 residents (±158)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

No high school diploma6.1%†347
High school or GED31%1,743
Some college32%1,834

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,510 households (±192)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k23%793
$25k–50k20%706
$50k–75k18%†615
$75k–100k17%†587
$100k–150k17%†593
$150k–200k4.6%†162
$200k or more1.5%†54

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−12.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,510 households (±192)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own75%2,641
Rent25%869

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+11.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

767 households (±202)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $75053%†407
$750–1,00029%†223
$1,000–1,50016%†122

Home values

2,641 homes (±231)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $150k43%1,146
$150k–250k38%1,006
$250k–400k12%†318

Age of homes

4,028 homes (±134)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

2010 or later2.2%†87
2000–20093.2%†129
1980–199912%†467

Size of homes

4,028 homes (±134)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Studio3.4%†138
1 bedroom7.9%†318
2 bedrooms30%1,206

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,774 workers (±359)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone87%3,281
Carpool10%†392
Public transit0.2%†6
Walk0.7%†27
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.8%†68
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,706 workers (±360)

Alliance, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under 15 min80%2,973
15–29 min15%†573
30–44 min0.5%†20

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Box Butte County, the county holding most of Alliance's residents.

Box Butte County has 291 employer establishments, 272 for every 10,000 residents (1.09× the US rate of 248; 0.96× Nebraska's), with 2,699 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,861. The Census Bureau also counts 715 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 291; 715 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 272; US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees: 2,699
Average annual pay: $46,861; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Box Butte County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	17	15.9	0.76×Fewer than typical	95	$66,674	43
Restaurants and other eating places	15	14	0.76×Fewer than typical	165	$25,121	3
Specialty trade contractors	14	13.1	0.84×About typical	57	$53,965	56
Automotive repair and maintenance	12	11.2	2.23×More than typical	49	$43,714	14
Banks and credit unions	12	11.2	3.47×More than typical	66	$54,591	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	11	10.3	2.34×More than typical	43	$38,953	7
Religious organizations	11	10.3	1.85×More than typical	103	$18,049	—
Lessors of real estate	10	9.3	0.76×Fewer than typical	24	$18,542	60
Gasoline stations	9	8.4	2.59×Too few to compare	49	$33,816	—
Offices of other health practitioners	9	8.4	1.38×Too few to compare	48	$44,521	17
Truck transportation	8	7.5	1.48×Too few to compare	10	$129,500	65
Limited-service restaurants	7	6.5	0.82×Too few to compare	98	$23,153	—

Rank places for an industry Open Box Butte County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 10,705 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Alliance is mostly in Box Butte County.

See federal money in Box Butte County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Alliance, Nebraska is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Adrian SmithR-NE-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Box Butte County75100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Box Butte County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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