Largest Cities in Nebraska: Ranked by Population
The largest city in Nebraska in our data is Omaha, NE, with an estimated 847,819 people, followed by Lincoln, NE (289,490) and Bellevue, NE (53,544). This list ranks the top 34 places among the 34 Nebraska communities with at least 5,000 residents.
What are the top 34 in Nebraska?
| # | City | County | Population | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha, NE | Douglas County | 847,819 | 3,390 |
| 2 | Lincoln, NE | Lancaster County | 289,490 | 3,004 |
| 3 | Bellevue, NE | Sarpy County | 53,544 | 3,230 |
| 4 | Grand Island, NE | Hall County | 53,296 | 1,722 |
| 5 | Kearney, NE | Buffalo County | 34,418 | 2,341 |
| 6 | Fremont, NE | Dodge County | 27,456 | 2,530 |
| 7 | Norfolk, NE | Madison County | 27,032 | 2,155 |
| 8 | Scottsbluff, NE | Scotts Bluff County | 25,114 | 2,194 |
| 9 | Hastings, NE | Adams County | 24,692 | 1,691 |
| 10 | North Platte, NE | Lincoln County | 24,098 | 1,785 |
| 11 | Columbus, NE | Platte County | 23,468 | 2,225 |
| 12 | Papillion, NE | Sarpy County | 20,471 | 2,072 |
| 13 | La Vista, NE | Sarpy County | 17,170 | 3,160 |
| 14 | South Sioux City, NE | Dakota County | 12,809 | 1,997 |
| 15 | Beatrice, NE | Gage County | 12,279 | 1,305 |
| 16 | Chalco, NE | Sarpy County | 10,952 | 3,888 |
| 17 | Lexington, NE | Dawson County | 10,345 | 2,246 |
| 18 | Gering, NE | Scotts Bluff County | 8,128 | 1,888 |
| 19 | Alliance, NE | Box Butte County | 8,092 | 1,621 |
| 20 | Blair, NE | Washington County | 7,892 | 1,432 |
| 21 | York, NE | York County | 7,846 | 1,212 |
| 22 | McCook, NE | Red Willow County | 7,560 | 1,399 |
| 23 | Nebraska City, NE | Otoe County | 7,292 | 1,466 |
| 24 | Ralston, NE | Douglas County | 7,273 | 4,408 |
| 25 | Seward, NE | Seward County | 7,216 | 1,619 |
| 26 | Crete, NE | Saline County | 7,007 | 2,121 |
| 27 | Plattsmouth, NE | Cass County | 6,534 | 1,942 |
| 28 | Schuyler, NE | Colfax County | 6,348 | 2,313 |
| 29 | Sidney, NE | Cheyenne County | 6,115 | 816 |
| 30 | Wayne, NE | Wayne County | 5,660 | 2,012 |
| 31 | Chadron, NE | Dawes County | 5,412 | 1,386 |
| 32 | Holdrege, NE | Phelps County | 5,408 | 1,277 |
| 33 | Gretna, NE | Sarpy County | 5,058 | 2,077 |
| 34 | Offutt AFB, NE | Sarpy County | 5,048 | 1,272 |
How big are the largest cities in Nebraska?
Of the 34 places with pages, 2 have more than 100,000 residents, 6 have between 25,000 and 100,000, and 26 have fewer than 25,000. The median place has about 9,236 people. The ten largest places account for about 86% of the combined population of all pages, which shows how concentrated the state's population is across communities. Sarpy County contributes 6 of the top 34.
Which counties do the top 34 belong to?
The 34 places on this list are spread across 27 counties of Nebraska. Sarpy County has 6 (Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Chalco, Gretna, Offutt AFB); Douglas County has 2 (Omaha, Ralston); Scotts Bluff County has 2 (Scottsbluff, Gering). Counties with several entries are usually centers of a metropolitan area, where one large city is surrounded by many suburbs that each pass the 5,000-resident threshold.
How does Nebraska compare with the rest of the country?
The median Nebraska place with a page has about 9,236 residents, compared with about 13,459 nationwide, so the state's typical community is smaller than the national typical place. Omaha, NE ranks 57th among all US places by estimated population in our data. The state has 576 communities in total, of which 34 reach 5,000 residents. See the national ranking of the largest cities for comparison.
Quick answers about Nebraska cities
- Which is the largest city in Nebraska? Omaha (847,819 people).
- How many Nebraska cities have more than 100,000 people? 2 in our data.
- How many have 25,000 to 100,000? 6.
- What is the typical size? About 9,236 residents for a place with a page.
How is this ranking made?
The data comes from the SimpleMaps US Cities Database, which gives each place an estimated population and a density in people per square kilometer. We convert density to people per square mile and rank the places with at least 5,000 residents. Boundaries matter: a city that includes large parks or farmland scores lower on density than a compact city of the same size, and population estimates can include areas that share a city's ZIP codes. Read why population figures differ and how density is calculated before you quote a number.
Where to go next
Rankings use dataset estimates, not official counts.