City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023

Elm Creek, NE

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Elm Creek - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,146
Residents
$75,625
Median income
$197,100
Median home
$961
Median rent (state)

Elm Creek - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Elm Creek lands in the 57th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

57th
percentile, household income
42nd
percentile, home value
11th
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: Elm Creek, NE

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 1,146 residents in Elm Creek, a small town within Nebraska. Elm Creek households earn a median of $75,625 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.0%. Typical homes in Elm Creek are valued around $197,100, and the median resident age is 29.4 years. 24.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 70.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Nebraska at 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $961 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $207 across Nebraska, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Elm Creek report an average commute of 22.3 minutes, with 76.8% driving alone and 4.2% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 39.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

1,146 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Nebraska

Median Household Income

$75,625 /yr

Poverty 4.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average

How does Elm Creek compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 57% higher than other cities
Home value 42% pricier than other cities
Median rent 11% 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 Elm Creek 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 Elm Creek near the bottom of Nebraska's cities

Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Elm Creek ranks #184 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Elm Creek only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#122 of 439
72nd percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#184 of 450
0th percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#55 of 438
87th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#279 of 450
37th percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#138 of 450
69th percentile in Nebraska

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.

57thIncome percentile

57th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Elm Creek's home value compares nationally

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

$197,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 58% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Elm Creek $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Elm Creek, NE Elm Creek, NE's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Elm Creek, NE-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Elm Creek, NE median $75,625/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%
Elm Creek, NE's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Elm Creek, NE. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 70.6%

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

Population
1,146
Median Income
$75,625
Median Home Value
$197,100
Median Age
29.4
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Labor force participation
70.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.9%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
982 residents984 residents986 residents988 residents990 residents 202020212022202320242025 989 residents 983 residents ▼ -0.6%
Elm Creek's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

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

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.3 minutes
Drive Alone
76.8%
Carpool
10.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
6.9%
Work from Home
4.2%
Other
1.8%

Based on 552 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Nebraska - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$207
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Nebraska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Nebraska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Elm Creek sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$961/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
39.2 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Nebraska

Bennet
1,174 people
Cairo
1,117 people
Alma
1,176 people
Creighton
1,199 people
Utica
1,092 people
Eagle
1,089 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Elm Creek's 1,146 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Sand Point, AK
1,146 people
Grant, MI
1,146 people
Van Buren, MO
1,146 people
Holland, NY
1,146 people
Fort Clark Springs, TX
1,146 people
Blue River, CO
1,145 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Elm Creek's $75,625 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Grubbs, AR
$75,625 median income
Cynthiana, IN
$75,625 median income
Letts, IA
$75,625 median income
Hebron, MD
$75,625 median income
Bigelow, MN
$75,625 median income
Cleveland, NY
$75,625 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Elm Creek, NE Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Elm Creek, NE - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.5% White 94.2% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 1.7% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.8% Two or more races 1.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Elm Creek compares to nearby Nebraska cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Elm Creek (this city) 1,146 $75,625
Bennet 1,174 $100,417
Cairo 1,117 $55,179
Alma 1,176 $68,333
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Elm Creek, NE?

What is the population of Elm Creek, NE? +

Elm Creek, NE counts 1,146 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Elm Creek, NE? +

Median annual household income in Elm Creek runs $75,625, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Elm Creek? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Elm Creek; the closest available measure is the Nebraska state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Nebraska vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Elm Creek, NE? +

Elm Creek's median home value sits at $197,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.