City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023

Dakota City, NE

Dakota City's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

2,980
Residents
$80,433
Median income
$170,200
Median home
$1,001
Median rent (state)
View my watchlist

Compare or rank this city

Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

Compare with another city

Starting with Dakota City, NE - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Dakota City.

Place dossier plate

Sheet NE-DAKOTA-CITY-NE · Dakota City, NE 2,980 pop · income 62nd pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-HIGH · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 2,980
  • INC-HIGH $80,433
  • COL-BELOW 90.1
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 62nd
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Jackson
  • HOME-LOW $170,200
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Jackson, MO (+ $2 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Dakota City

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Dakota City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Dakota City on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 2,980.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $80,433. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Dakota City - the verdict

Nationally, Dakota City sits in the 62nd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

62nd
percentile, household income
34th
percentile, home value
15th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Dakota City, NE

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 2,980 residents in Dakota City, a small town within Nebraska. The typical household in Dakota City brings in $80,433 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.8%. Typical homes in Dakota City are valued around $170,200, and the median resident age is 28.6 years. About 12.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in Dakota City (Construction Slowdown), down 67% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: the state registers 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,001 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Nebraska's average monthly utility costs around $207 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 25.8 out of 100 (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Dakota City's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to population change to comparison shortlist to housing and income to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Dakota City, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Dakota City?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 82.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

2. Population change

Is Dakota City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 3

Which cities make useful reference points for Dakota City?

Within Nebraska, the closest population matches are David City (3,013 residents, $66,585 income); Minden (3,020 residents, $64,846 income); Central City (3,039 residents, $62,012 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are DeWitt, AR (2,980 residents); Parksdale, CA (2,980 residents); Kingwood, WV (2,980 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in Dakota City?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Dakota City?

The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 12.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

Matched public schools
1
Bachelor's degree+
12.8%
Poverty estimate
7.8%

NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.

See how the family ranking is built →

Population

2,980 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$80,433 /yr

Above median income · poverty 7.8% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average

City profile score · Dakota City, NE

55/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A
90.1 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Household income C+
$80,433

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate D
7.8%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share F
12.8%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Dakota City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingHousehold incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ share 55 C
Dakota City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.1 index
  • Household income: 60/100 (C+) · $80,433
  • Poverty rate: 48/100 (D) · 7.8%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 14/100 (F) · 12.8%

How does Dakota City compare to other US cities?

Here's how Dakota City stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 62% higher than other cities
Home value 34% pricier than other cities
Median rent 15% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Dakota City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Nebraska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Nebraska-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Dakota City near the bottom of Nebraska's cities

Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Dakota City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Dakota City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#78 of 439
82nd percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 450
0th percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#99 of 438
77th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#173 of 450
61st percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#362 of 450
19th percentile in Nebraska
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Nebraska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

62ndIncome percentile
Gauge source note

62nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Dakota City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$170,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 66% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Dakota City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Dakota City's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.1×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,065 of 15,516
More affordable than 87% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,955 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.1×, Dakota City sits in the affordable band: national rank #2,065 of 15,516 and #1,955 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$80,433 Dakota City, NE median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Dakota City, NE Dakota City, NE's median household income ($80,433) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Dakota City, NE-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Dakota City, NE median $80,433/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Dakota City, NE median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Dakota City, NE.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 12.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,980
Median Income
$80,433
Median Home Value
$170,200
Median Age
28.6
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Labor force participation
64.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.8%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,020 residents2,040 residents2,060 residents2,080 residents2,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,081 residents 2,080 residents ▼ -0.0%
Dakota City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 2,081 residents
2021 2,052 residents
2022 2,042 residents
2023 2,051 residents
2024 2,066 residents
2025 2,080 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3
2020 0
2021 0
2022 2
2023 2
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 67% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.3%
Carpool
13.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
2.8%
Other
0.6%

Based on 1,347 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Nebraska statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $207

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Nebraska at $207 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $42 ).

These are Nebraska statewide averages, not a meter reading for Dakota City. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Nebraska's BEA cost-of-living index is 90.1 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Dakota City is $1,001/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Nebraska statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 25.8 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Nebraska statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Dakota City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Dakota City compares to similar-size Nebraska cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Dakota City (this city) 2,980 $80,433
David City 3,013 $66,585
Minden 3,020 $64,846
Central City 3,039 $62,012
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

Browse all city profiles → · Explore city rankings →

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Share or download this profile