City · Pierce County, Nebraska

Pierce, Nebraska

Pierce is a city in Pierce County, Nebraska, part of the Norfolk, NE metro area. It has 1,956 residents. Pierce, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 83 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,673 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Nebraska it ranks #56 of 119 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), suicide rate (low) and pharmacies (high). It ranks worst on mental health providers (low), public EV charging ports (low) and gyms and fitness centers (low).

83Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,673 of 15,651 cities and towns
Nebraska: #56 of 119 in NE
Population: 1,956 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 2,157.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 3139100

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.

Safety96#662/15,637
Economy80#3,070/15,631
Housing53#6,967/14,977
Health86#2,171/15,609
Healthcare45#8,686/15,650
Environment67#5,030/15,453
Education83#2,667/15,649
Infrastructure37#9,926/15,650
Community91#1,411/15,651
Leisure & amenities53#7,288/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Job growth · high21.6%
100/100Nebraska -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataPierce County value
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100Nebraska 15.8 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPierce County value
Pharmacies · high4.1 /10k
99/100Nebraska 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPierce County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Nebraska 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPierce 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 dataPierce County value
Loneliness · low30.4%
98/100Nebraska 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low14 /100k
0/100Nebraska 362 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePierce County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Nebraska 3.9 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyPierce County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Nebraska 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPierce County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high110 mi
8/100Nebraska 29 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPierce County value
Drought exposure · high84%
9/100Nebraska 61%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAPierce County value
Average weekly wage · low$934
9/100Nebraska $1,213United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPierce County value

Trends

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

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
22.7% (2015-2019) → 71.3% (2020-2024)
+49 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
18.9% (2015-2019) → 31.7% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 2.5× (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$57,829 (2015-2019) → $70,859 (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.5% (2015-2019) → 85.4% (2020-2024)
+3.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
3.0% (2015-2019) → 6.5% (2020-2024)
+3.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, Pierce, Nebraska improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Rent / income+13 points18.9% → 31.7%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Pierce, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.2 min2015-2019	19.1 min2020-2024	−2.2 min	Within the margin of error	72%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.9%2015-2019	24.7%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Broadband subscriptions	81.5%2015-2019	85.4%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Effective property tax rate	1.43%2015-2019	1.38%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	24%
High school diploma or higher	94.2%2015-2019	96.1%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	46%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3802015-2019	0.3772020-2024	−0.003	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$57,8292015-2019	$70,8592020-2024	+23%	Within the margin of error	38%
Poverty rate	6.2%2015-2019	4.9%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	18.9%2015-2019	31.7%2020-2024	+13 points	Declined	6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.0%2015-2019	6.5%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Within the margin of error	17%

“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 Pierce, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Pierce, 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, Pierce, Nebraska itself moved −10.9 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

1,956 residents (±242)

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 men (−4.2 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

1,956 residents (±242)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

White95%1,852
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino1.5%†29

Education

1,318 residents (±147)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

No high school diploma3.9%†52
High school or GED32%418
Some college22%295

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

731 households (±86)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k11%†82
$25k–50k28%†205
$50k–75k12%†91
$75k–100k17%122
$100k–150k21%150
$150k–200k6.7%†49
$200k or more4.4%†32

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (−9.2 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

731 households (±86)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own77%564
Rent23%†167

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

154 households (±74)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $75020%†31
$750–1,00020%†31
$1,000–1,50058%†90

Home values

564 homes (±71)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $150k39%220
$150k–250k40%225
$250k–400k19%†105

Age of homes

763 homes (±87)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

2010 or later4.5%†34
2000–20095.8%†44
1980–199916%†123

Size of homes

763 homes (±87)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom2.6%†20
2 bedrooms31%233

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

1,129 workers (±142)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone89%1,001
Carpool4.4%†50
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.5%†6
Bike1.9%†21
Work from home4.3%†48
Other0.3%†3

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (+9.5 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

1,081 workers (±147)

Pierce, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under 15 min33%354
15–29 min56%605
30–44 min7.0%†76

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 Norfolk, 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 Pierce County, the county holding most of Pierce's residents.

Pierce County has 238 employer establishments, 326 for every 10,000 residents (1.31× the US rate of 248; 1.15× Nebraska's), with 1,630 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,140. The Census Bureau also counts 676 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 238; 676 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 326; US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees: 1,630
Average annual pay: $46,140; US $68,342

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

Truck transportation	26	35.6	7.04×More than typical	99	$45,071	49
Specialty trade contractors	22	30.1	1.95×More than typical	99	$64,737	88
Construction of buildings	12	16.4	2.17×More than typical	37	$53,378	23
Restaurants and other eating places	11	15.1	0.82×About typical	144	$9,222	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	10	13.7	3.12×More than typical	36	$48,972	11
Religious organizations	10	13.7	2.47×More than typical	54	$13,944	—
Ambulatory health care services	9	12.3	0.59×Too few to compare	60	$53,983	17
Building equipment contractors	9	12.3	2.05×Too few to compare	25	$53,120	18
Gasoline stations	7	9.6	2.96×Too few to compare	66	$27,167	—
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	6	8.2	2.61×Too few to compare	59	$70,831	14
Lessors of real estate	6	8.2	0.67×Too few to compare	9	$23,000	83
Automotive repair and maintenance	5	6.8	1.36×Too few to compare	24	$52,750	23

Rank places for an industry Open Pierce County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 7,302 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: Pierce is mostly in Pierce County.

See federal money in Pierce 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.

Pierce, 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.

Pierce County93100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Norfolk, NE92

Other cities and towns in Pierce 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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