City · Morrill County, Nebraska

Bayard, Nebraska

Bayard is a city in Morrill County, Nebraska. It has 1,531 residents. Bayard, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 61 out of 100 (high), ranking #6,164 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Nebraska it ranks #106 of 119 cities and towns. It ranks best on grocery stores (high), preventable hospital stays (low) and public libraries (high). It ranks worst on drought exposure (high), traffic deaths (high) and flu vaccinations (low).

61High

Quality-of-life score: #6,164 of 15,651 cities and towns
Nebraska: #106 of 119 in NE
Population: 1,531 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 2,202.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 3103285

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 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.

Safety77#3,570/15,637
Economy45#8,553/15,631
Housing85#2,217/14,977
Health39#9,471/15,609
Healthcare26#11,656/15,650
Environment62#5,894/15,453
Education63#5,836/15,649
Infrastructure15#13,376/15,650
Community81#3,035/15,651
Leisure & amenities75#3,937/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bayard, Nebraska ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Morrill 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

Grocery stores · high6.8 /10k
100/100Nebraska 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMorrill County value
Preventable hospital stays · low919 /100k
100/100Nebraska 2,494 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorrill County value
Public libraries · high6.8 /10k
100/100Nebraska 1.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMorrill County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.2 µg/m³
99/100Nebraska 5.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMorrill County value
Violent crime rate · low34 /100k
99/100Nebraska 218 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationMorrill County value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Nebraska 6.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMorrill County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100Nebraska 61%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAMorrill County value
Traffic deaths · high48.7 /100k
2/100Nebraska 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataMorrill County value
Flu vaccinations · low23.0%
2/100Nebraska 47.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMorrill County value
Distance to an airport · high150 mi
2/100Nebraska 65 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauMorrill County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Nebraska 3.9 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyMorrill County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Nebraska 7.2United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMorrill County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
1,067 (2015-2019) → 1,531 (2020-2024)
+43%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
40.6% (2015-2019) → 63.3% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
3.6% (2015-2019) → 19.6% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
69.8% (2015-2019) → 84.2% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
9.9% (2015-2019) → 23.9% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Median household incomeImproving
$41,711 (2015-2019) → $68,333 (2020-2024)
+64%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

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, Bayard, Nebraska improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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

Bachelor's++14 points9.9% → 23.9%
Broadband+14 points69.8% → 84.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Bayard, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.6 min2015-2019	28.7 min2020-2024	+10.1 min	Within the margin of error	2%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.9%2015-2019	23.9%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	96%
Broadband subscriptions	69.8%2015-2019	84.2%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	78%
High school diploma or higher	83.3%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+7.6 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	1.6×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	86%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4132015-2019	0.3952020-2024	−0.018	Within the margin of error	66%
Median household income	$41,7112015-2019	$68,3332020-2024	+64%	Within the margin of error	92%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	37.8%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Rent-burdened households	40.6%2015-2019	63.3%2020-2024	+23 points	Within the margin of error	6%

“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 Bayard, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bayard, 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, Bayard, Nebraska itself moved −6.8 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

1,531 residents (±245)

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

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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,531 residents (±245)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

White72%1,099
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino21%†329

Education

995 residents (±164)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

No high school diploma9.1%†91
High school or GED29%284
Some college27%270

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

594 households (±103)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k17%†103
$25k–50k24%†143
$50k–75k13%†75
$75k–100k15%†88
$100k–150k19%†110
$150k–200k12%†72
$200k or more0.5%†3

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+11.7 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

594 households (±103)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own86%510
Rent14%†84

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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

79 households (±40)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $75063%†50
$750–1,00025%†20
$1,000–1,50011%†9

Home values

510 homes (±96)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $150k73%372
$150k–250k26%†131
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

665 homes (±98)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

2010 or later0.5%†3
2000–20090.8%†5
1980–19990.3%†2

Size of homes

665 homes (±98)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Studio0.9%†6
1 bedroom9.0%†60
2 bedrooms31%†203

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

769 workers (±154)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone89%684
Carpool1.6%†12
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.8%†14
Bike0.0%0
Work from home7.7%†59
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−11.5 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

710 workers (±136)

Bayard, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under 15 min35%†250
15–29 min37%†260
30–44 min16%†117

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 Morrill County, the county holding most of Bayard's residents.

Morrill County has 122 employer establishments, 270 for every 10,000 residents (1.09× the US rate of 248; 0.95× Nebraska's), with 826 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,788. The Census Bureau also counts 367 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 122; 367 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 270; US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees: 826
Average annual pay: $47,788; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	8	17.7	0.97×Too few to compare	64	$13,094	—
Truck transportation	8	17.7	3.51×Too few to compare	10	$49,700	32
Gasoline stations	6	13.3	4.10×Too few to compare	34	$38,353	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	6	13.3	3.03×Too few to compare	15	$122,733	10
Religious organizations	6	13.3	2.40×Too few to compare	11	$18,545	—
Specialty trade contractors	6	13.3	0.86×Too few to compare	13	$24,000	26
Banks and credit unions	5	11.1	3.43×Too few to compare	33	$52,000	—
Construction of buildings	5	11.1	1.47×Too few to compare	12	$34,250	7
Lessors of real estate	5	11.1	0.90×Too few to compare	4	$22,750	33
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	4	8.9	3.33×Too few to compare	11	$31,273	—
Building equipment contractors	4	8.9	1.47×Too few to compare	7	$30,429	7
Child day care services	4	8.9	3.63×Too few to compare	19	$20,158	—

Rank places for an industry Open Morrill County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 4,511 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: Bayard is mostly in Morrill County.

See federal money in Morrill 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.

Bayard, 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.

Morrill County72100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Morrill 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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