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Place dossier plate
SheetNE-SOUTH-SIOUX-CITY-NE · South Sioux City, NE 13,871 pop · income 48th pct · 5 tracts
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 South Sioux City
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest South Sioux City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Elfers · lowest
52,979
Elfers · lowest
52,979 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #1
Micanopy · near
68,393
Micanopy · near
68,393 median HH income
55.1% of the leader · rank #2
Belchertown · near
68,393
Belchertown · near
68,393 median HH income
55.1% of the leader · rank #3
Neck City · near
68,393
Neck City · near
68,393 median HH income
55.1% of the leader · rank #4
Harrells · near
68,393
Harrells · near
68,393 median HH income
55.1% of the leader · rank #5
South Sioux C… · this city
68,397
South Sioux C… · this city
68,397 median HH income
55.1% of the leader · rank #6
Kettering · highest
124,036
Kettering · highest
124,036 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for South Sioux City on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 13,871.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
South Sioux City - the verdict
Nationally, South Sioux City sits in the 48th percentile for household income and the 18th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
48th
percentile, household income
30th
percentile, home value
15th
percentile, median rent
18th
percentile, safety
📝 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: South Sioux City, NE
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 13,871 residents in South Sioux City, a small town within Nebraska. South Sioux City households earn a median of $68,397 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.8%. South Sioux City's housing stock carries a median value of $160,900, and the median resident age is 30.9 years. About 15.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 69.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 27 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Growing), up 17% from five years earlier. South Sioux City's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2833.1 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Nebraska scores 90.1 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,001 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Nebraska's average monthly utility costs around $207 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 25.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of South Sioux 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 within-city variation to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to reported crime to population change to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For South Sioux City, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Within-city variation
What can 5 Census tracts reveal inside South Sioux City?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
What does the journey to work look like in South Sioux 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 74.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for South Sioux City?
Within Nebraska, the closest population matches are Scottsbluff (14,406 residents, $53,448 income); Beatrice (12,233 residents, $54,583 income); La Vista (16,594 residents, $78,145 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Westmont, NJ (13,870 residents); Luling, LA (13,873 residents); White House, TN (13,875 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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What can the FBI record say about safety in South Sioux City?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2833.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 24% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
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.
Population change
Is South Sioux 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 grew by +131 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 27 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+0.9%
2025 estimate
14,158
2020 estimate
14,027
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in South Sioux City?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 8.8%, 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.
Household income
$68,397
Home value
$160,900
Value / income
2.4×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Below median income · poverty 8.8% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.1 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average
C-
City profile score · South Sioux City, NE
51/100
5 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.
Violent crime C-
181 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income D
$68,397
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate D
8.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
15.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
South Sioux City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.1 index
Violent crime: 51/100 (C-) · 181 /100k
Household income: 47/100 (D) · $68,397
Poverty rate: 44/100 (D) · 8.8%
Bachelor's+ share: 23/100 (F) · 15.9%
Where South Sioux City sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
South Sioux City's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - South Sioux City highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
South Sioux City, NE (this city): home $160,900, crime 2,833/100k
White House, TN : home $311,200, crime 971/100k
Scottsbluff, NE : home $141,300, crime 3,371/100k
Beatrice, NE : home $152,900, crime 905/100k
La Vista, NE : home $244,900, crime 1,234/100k
Lexington, NE : home $155,200, crime 1,482/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does South Sioux City compare to other US cities?
South Sioux City measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income48% higher than other cities
Home value30% pricier than other cities
Median rent15% pricier than other cities
Safety18% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Nebraska alone, South Sioux City ranks #42 of 44 Nebraska cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares South Sioux 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 South Sioux City near the bottom of Nebraska's cities
Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, South Sioux City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares South Sioux City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#180 of 439
59th percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 450
0th percentile in Nebraska
Median Home Value
#113 of 438
74th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#150 of 450
66th percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#306 of 450
32nd 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.
Gauge source note
48th percentile nationally for median household income · 18th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
South Sioux City's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
South Sioux City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How South Sioux City's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$160,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 70% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
South Sioux City's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,240 of 15,516
More affordable than 79% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#247 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.4×, South Sioux City sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,240 of 15,516 and #247 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
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
$68,397South Sioux City, NE median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context South Sioux 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 South Sioux City, NE.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)15.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)8.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)69.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
13,871
Median Income
$68,397
Median Home Value
$160,900
Median Age
30.9
Poverty Rate
8.8%
Labor force participation
69.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2833.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
181.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2652.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
South Sioux City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
14,027 residents
2021
13,854 residents
2022
13,834 residents
2023
13,884 residents
2024
14,012 residents
2025
14,158 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
27
housing units authorized
Single-Family
27
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
23
23
0
$4.7M
2020
20
20
0
$5.3M
2021
17
14
3
$5.6M
2022
18
18
0
$4.4M
2023
26
26
0
$5.9M
2024
27
27
0
$9.0M
Permit volume increased 17% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
74.0%
Carpool
13.7%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
7.7%
Other
2.4%
Based on 6,731 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 South Sioux 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 South Sioux 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 South Sioux City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How South Sioux 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.