Nebraska’s Safest Cities of 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

In our latest State of Safety survey, less than half of Nebraskans (38%) said they worried about their safety, which is less than the average American (47%). This may be because Nebraska's per capita crime rates have been on a downward trajectory.

Last year, we saw a decrease in Nebraska's violent crime rate, while the state's property crime rate went down for the fourth year in a row. The Cornhusker State's top five safest cities reported lower crime rates than the state at large.

We didn't have enough viable data to calculate statewide crime rates for Nebraska this year. But if the safest cities are any indication, it looks like crime rates may be on the decline statewide.

The collective violent crime rate of the five safest cities is 0.6 incidents per 1,000 people—down from 0.9 last year. For property crime, the safest cities report 6.5 incidents per 1,000 people—down from 8.9 last year. 

Last year, we reported Nebraska's per capita crime rates as 2.5 for violent crime and 15.5 for property crime, which were year over year declines.

Nebraskans we surveyed told us they experienced more property crime year over year, and they're more concerned about property crime than they were last year.  

• 47% of survey respondents say they are highly concerned about property crime (US 52%). Concern grew 12% year over year.
• More Nebraskans (29%) reported personal experiences with property crime this reporting year compared to last year (19%). That's two points higher than the national average.
• 39% of participants reported experiencing package theft in the last 12 months, putting Nebraska above the US average of 35%.
• 4 in 10 respondents (40%) told us they increased their security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%)
• 20% of people in Nebraska use no form of property protection. This is below the 25% national average.
• The top form of property protection in Nebraska this year was security cameras with 43% of survey respondents using them. This is a higher adoption rate than the national average of 39%. Guard dogs came in second with 30%. 

Nebraskans feel very safe in their home state compared to most Americans—and it's no surprise that they reported less personal experience with violent crime than last year's survey. Overall, 46% of respondents in The Cornhusker State said they were very worried about violent crime.

• 60% of Nebraska residents reported feeling safe in their state compared to 45% of Americans. 
• 10% of Nebraskans reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the last 12 months—down 33% from last year.
• 40% of survey participants report using some form of personal protection—higher than the US average (36%).
• Pepper spray is the top pick for personal protection, according to our Nebraska survey participants—55% say they carry it regularly (US 42%).

• 38% of those surveyed named gun violence a safety concern (US 51%). That's down 14% from the year before.
• 10% of Nebraskans reported having an experience with gun violence (US 12%), matching the level of experience from last year's report.
• Nebraska experienced 2 mass shootings in 2023,  down 60% from the year before.
• 4 in 10 of those surveyed (40%) who carry personal protection, carry a concealed firearm (US 41%).
• Around 3 in 10 of those surveyed (29%) who use security measures at home rely on firearms (US 28%).

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• Nebraska’s safest city, Schuyler, tops the list for the second consecutive year.
• Seward held on to its title as the third-safest city in Nebraska for the second year in a row.
• Holdrege and Blair are new this year to the top 5 safest cities in Nebraska.
• Every safest city reported 1.1 or fewer violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
• Every safest city reported fewer than 9 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
• The top 5 cities reported zero murders.
• Norfolk is the largest city on the list with nearly 20,000 more residents than every other safest city.
• Schuyler is the only city to report zero rapes and zero burglaries.

• 100 Safest Cities in the U.S.
• 10 Safest Big Cities in the U.S.
• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Home Security Cameras
• Best Video Doorbell Cameras
• Burglary Stats & Facts
• Over 50% Of All Burglaries Are Residential—How To Protect Your Family
• The Best Personal Safety Devices for Every Situation

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

• 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
  • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
• 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.