Scores by category

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

Safety80#3,054/15,637
Economy51#7,727/15,631
Housing83#2,605/14,977
Health76#3,699/15,609
Healthcare67#5,099/15,650
Environment71#4,418/15,453
Education60#6,308/15,649
Infrastructure42#9,083/15,650
Community84#2,542/15,651
Leisure & amenities48#8,196/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Loneliness · low29.2%
99/100Nebraska 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Nebraska 6.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPlatte County value
Mammography screening · high60.0%
98/100Nebraska 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlatte County value
Average commute time · low15.1 min
98/100Nebraska 19.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Depression · low16.7%
95/100Nebraska 18.7%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.7 µg/m³
93/100Nebraska 5.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyPlatte County value

Weaknesses

Adult obesity · high42.9%
10/100Nebraska 39.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
New business applications · low8.6 /1k
11/100Nebraska 11.3 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauPlatte County value
Distance to an airport · high78 mi
18/100Nebraska 65 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPlatte County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.6 /10k
19/100Nebraska 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPlatte County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high57 mi
23/100Nebraska 29 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPlatte County value
Natural hazard risk · high73.8
24/100Nebraska 52.42025Federal Emergency Management AgencyPlatte County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
23,195 (2015-2019) → 24,488 (2020-2024)
+5.6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
3.7 /1k (2021) → 7.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+90%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
31.4% (2015-2019) → 43.1% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.2% (2015-2019) → 88.4% (2020-2024)
+8.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.4× (2015-2019) → 3.3× (2020-2024)
+37%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Average commute timeWorsening
12.1 min (2015-2019) → 15.1 min (2020-2024)
+24%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

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, Columbus, Nebraska improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 10 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.

Improved1

Broadband+8.3 points80.2% → 88.4%

Declined3

Commute+3.0 min12.1 min → 15.1 min
Rent burden+12 points31.4% → 43.1%
Price / income+0.9×2.4× → 3.3×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Columbus, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	12.1 min2015-2019	15.1 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Declined	20%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.5%2015-2019	21.8%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Broadband subscriptions	80.2%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Improved	51%
Child poverty rate	12.9%2015-2019	12.7%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Effective property tax rate	1.54%2015-2019	1.38%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%
High school diploma or higher	87.8%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	27%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4022015-2019	0.4182020-2024	+0.016	Within the margin of error	37%
Median household income	$60,1102015-2019	$64,6262020-2024	+7.5%	Within the margin of error	14%
Poverty rate	9.1%2015-2019	11.3%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Rent as share of income	22.5%2015-2019	26.0%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Rent-burdened households	31.4%2015-2019	43.1%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	20%
Unemployment rate	3.2%2015-2019	2.4%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.6%2015-2019	9.3%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	72%

“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 Columbus, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Columbus, 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, Columbus, Nebraska itself moved −10.2 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

24,488 residents (±26)

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: 10–19 women (+1.4 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

24,488 residents (±26)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

White68%16,564
Black0.8%†199
Hispanic or Latino28%6,909

Education

15,811 residents (±329)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

No high school diploma9.1%1,444
High school or GED34%5,318
Some college23%3,662

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

9,850 households (±251)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k15%1,473
$25k–50k23%2,218
$50k–75k19%1,909
$75k–100k13%1,264
$100k–150k18%1,746
$150k–200k9.1%898
$200k or more3.5%†342

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+5.5 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 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

9,850 households (±251)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own66%6,511
Rent34%3,339

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

3,237 households (±345)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $75034%1,090
$750–1,00024%789
$1,000–1,50030%971

Home values

6,511 homes (±330)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $150k25%1,621
$150k–250k39%2,518
$250k–400k27%1,753

Age of homes

10,303 homes (±222)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

2010 or later11%1,095
2000–20096.9%708
1980–199917%1,760

Size of homes

10,303 homes (±222)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Studio1.4%†145
1 bedroom14%1,424
2 bedrooms24%2,444

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

12,269 workers (±403)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone80%9,762
Carpool11%1,375
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.4%†290
Bike0.4%†50
Work from home4.4%†534
Other2.1%†258

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+2.1 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

11,735 workers (±417)

Columbus, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under 15 min66%7,702
15–29 min22%2,629
30–44 min5.3%†622

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Columbus, NE

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 Platte County, the county holding most of Columbus's residents.

Platte County has 1,033 employer establishments, 293 for every 10,000 residents (1.18× the US rate of 248; 1.03× Nebraska's), with 15,808 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,495. The Census Bureau also counts 2,919 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,033; 2,919 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 293; US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees: 15,808
Average annual pay: $52,495; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	77	21.9	1.41×More than typical	573	$57,309	208
Ambulatory health care services	69	19.6	0.94×About typical	715	$70,895	53
Restaurants and other eating places	53	15	0.82×About typical	920	$18,678	14
Truck transportation	51	14.5	2.86×More than typical	398	$47,256	169
Lessors of real estate	43	12.2	0.99×About typical	196	$57,765	304
Automotive repair and maintenance	36	10.2	2.03×More than typical	197	$37,701	58
Construction of buildings	34	9.6	1.28×More than typical	515	$79,369	101
Insurance agencies and brokerages	34	9.6	2.20×More than typical	85	$61,647	51
Building equipment contractors	33	9.4	1.56×More than typical	299	$55,431	37
Limited-service restaurants	29	8.2	1.03×About typical	611	$17,828	—
Banks and credit unions	26	7.4	2.28×More than typical	323	$66,195	—
Gasoline stations	24	6.8	2.10×More than typical	247	$32,320	—

Rank places for an industry Open Platte County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 35,239 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

In FY2026, an estimated $20K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Columbus, Nebraska: $0.82 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $20K
Per resident: $0.82; US $1,994
Sole-source: 71%; US 30%
Single offer: 9.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$14K70%
Environmental Protection Agency$6,48732%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$79.160.4%

Top recipients

NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT$14.2K71%
TETRA TECH, INC.$4,67823%
CH2M HILL, INC$1,8099.0%
MIDWEST MEDICAL TRANSPORT COMPANY, LLC$79.160.4%
MEAD HOLDING COMPANY, INC.-$1890.0%

Spending by fiscal year

22.6KFY2017
44.5KFY2018
33KFY2019
60.8KFY2020
14.6KFY2021
310.1KFY2022
392.1KFY2023
75.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$14.2K71%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$4,67823%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1,8099.0%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$79.160.4%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Columbus, Nebraska, so they do not add up across cities.

Columbus, Nebraska's figures are part of those of Platte County, NE ($409.4K in FY2026), never added to them: 4.9% of that total.

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

See federal money in Platte 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.

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

House

Mike FloodR-NE-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 0.7%

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.

Platte County93100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Columbus, NE91

Other cities and towns in Platte 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

JSON · /api/v1/places/3110110

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends