Livable Small Towns

Alma

Located just a mile north of the Harlan County Reservoir, Alma is a surprisingly progressive, cotton-wood shaded community with acres of green space and easy access to outdoor activities such as fishing and upland game hunting. more about Alma, NE

Axtell

Survey’s tell us that one concern of people considering the change to a rural lifestyle is the quality of rural schools. They shouldn’t worry. A recent Department of Education study found that nationwide, rural children did better than their urban counterparts in science and math, and that rural educators were more likely to report being satisfied with their working conditions. more about Axtell, NE

Arapahoe

What’s to like about Arapahoe? We asked Arapahoe businesswoman Becky Crawford, and it didn’t take her long to reel off an impressive, if eclectic, list. A health clinic with physician services open five days/week. Connie’s Dance studio, which offers tumbling, clogging and dance classes for youth and attracts students from “miles around Arapahoe”.  more about Arapahoe, NE

Benkelman

About as far south and west as you can go and still be in Nebraska, Benkelman is a town with a view, built on spectacular terrain featuring lookouts and ledges. Only three hours from Denver International Airport, you’ll find the hectic, high-priced urban lifestyle evolves into wholesome, affordable, rural living in Benkelman and Dundy County.  more about Benkelman, NE

Bertrand

Bertrand is alive with heart and soul! You can feel it in the warmth of the community coming together on a starlit night to munch homegrown sweet corn and barbecue at a fundraiser for a family who needs a hand-up. You can hear it in the way Bertrand High School teachers describe the triumphs of their graduates and the talents of their current students. more about Bertrand, NE

Cambridge

Cambridge is blessed in many ways. Its location midway between Denver and Omaha and at the confluence of the Republican River and Medicine Creek in southwestern Nebraska appeals to both new residents and businesses. Verdant canopies of maple, ash and oak trees shade sturdy wood-sided homes in a town that is known for a friendly, front-porch culture. more about Cambridge, NE

Eustis

Founded in the late 1880s by immigrants mostly from Stuttgart, Germany, it’s no wonder this friendly town still honors the sausage with an annual affair drawing thousands of visitors from all over Nebraska. more about Eustis, NE

Holdrege

If you were looking for someplace that embodied the kind of values America was built on – hard work, education, common sense, care for others – you wouldn’t have to look farther than Holdrege, Nebraska. more about Holdrege, NE

McCook

Although McCook, like many rural Nebraska communities, can boast of friendly people, excellent schools and low crime, it enjoys some amenities that many smaller communities don’t have, including McCook Community College, an airport with commercial service, a modern hospital and a variety of lakes, rivers, reservoirs and open space for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and wildlife viewing. more about McCook, NE

Minden

If you could sit down at a drawing board to design the perfect small town, what would you include? Maybe you’d start with a superb education system, then add in gracious and affordable homes. more about Minden, NE

Oxford

Cruise into the small (pop. 900) Village of Oxford in south-central Nebraska, and you’re greeted by a main street broad enough to park cars in the middle as well as at the curbs. The first Oxford citizens designed a spacious community with room to expand.  Clean, wide streets and sidewalks with big, shady trees welcome customers and visitors. more about Oxford, NE

Red Cloud

Seated at a vintage 1950s chrome table, sipping a creamy latte, Chris and Carolyn Crossett describe how they started their commercial ice cube business and California-style diner in Benkelman, Nebraska. more about Red Cloud, NE

Stratton

Sit down for a cup of coffee or lunch in Stratton, and almost invariably, one or two of the locals will begin a story about a business concept that sounded impossible – until some can-do person in Stratton brought it to delicious fruition. more about Stratton, NE