Nebraska
NE · Data from 2022–2023 government sources
Nebraska, the Cornhusker State, is a Great Plains state that defies easy categorization. While the eastern half features the urban vitality of Omaha and Lincoln, the western Sandhills contain one of the largest grass-stabilized dune systems in the Western Hemisphere. Nebraska's identity is inseparable from its agricultural heritage, its passionate devotion to Husker football, and the resilient, no-nonsense character of its people.
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Nebraska was the homeland of the Pawnee, Omaha, Ponca, and Otoe-Missouria peoples. The Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail all crossed Nebraska, making it a corridor for westward migration. Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867. The Homestead Act of 1862 brought thousands of settlers to claim free land, transforming the prairie into farmland. Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral (one-chamber) legislature, adopted in 1937.
Economy
Agriculture is Nebraska's economic backbone — the state is a top producer of beef cattle, corn, soybeans, and pork. Omaha is a financial services hub, home to Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett's company), Mutual of Omaha, and First National of Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railroad is headquartered in Omaha. Food processing (ConAgra, Tyson) and insurance are also major industries.
Geography & Landmarks
Nebraska covers 77,348 square miles of gradually rising terrain, from about 840 feet in the southeast to over 5,000 feet at Panorama Point near the Colorado border. The Sandhills region in the north-central part of the state is a 20,000-square-mile area of grass-covered sand dunes atop the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world's largest underground water reserves. The Platte River runs across the state and hosts one of nature's great spectacles — the annual spring migration of 500,000+ sandhill cranes. Chimney Rock, a prominent geological formation rising nearly 300 feet above the North Platte River valley, was the most frequently mentioned landmark in Oregon Trail pioneer journals. The Nebraska Sandhills are the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere.
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument — NPS Photo
Source: NPS API
Culture & Traditions
Nebraska's cultural heart beats loudest on autumn Saturdays, when Memorial Stadium in Lincoln fills with over 86,000 red-clad fans for University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football — the stadium has sold out every home game since 1962, the longest active streak in college football. Omaha has emerged as an unlikely cultural hub, with its Old Market district hosting galleries, theaters, and a growing food scene that earned the city recognition as a top dining destination. The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha holds world-class collections including Swiss painter Karl Bodmer's watercolors documenting the Missouri River frontier in the 1830s. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is consistently ranked among the top zoos in the world, known for its Desert Dome (the world's largest indoor desert) and its indoor rainforest. Nebraska's Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings in 1927, and the town celebrates with annual Kool-Aid Days each August.
Notable Cities
Lincoln
CapitalThe state capital and home to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Memorial Stadium, home of Husker football, becomes the third-largest city in Nebraska on game days with 86,000 fans.
290,531
Population
$67,846
Median income
$230,400
Home value
$998
Median rent
33.1
Median age
3.3%
Unemployment
56.3%
Homeownership
46,447
Bachelor's+
Omaha
Nebraska's largest city, headquarters of Berkshire Hathaway, and host of the College World Series. Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, has lived here his entire adult life.
Grand Island
Located along the Platte River, a prime viewing location for the annual sandhill crane migration — one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in North America.
Scottsbluff
A western Nebraska city near Scotts Bluff National Monument, a towering bluff that served as a landmark for Oregon Trail pioneers.
North Platte
Home to Bailey Yard, the world's largest railroad classification yard, and the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park.
Capital city data: Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022)
Intel File · Fun Facts
Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral (single-chamber) legislature — all other 49 states have a senate and a house.
Memorial Stadium in Lincoln sells out every Husker football game — the streak of consecutive sellouts dates back to 1962.
Warren Buffett, one of the world's wealthiest people, still lives in the same Omaha house he bought in 1958 for $31,500.
Each spring, about 500,000 sandhill cranes stop along the Platte River in Nebraska during their northward migration — one of the greatest wildlife gatherings on the planet.
Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska in 1927 by Edwin Perkins.
Data & Statistics
Demographics
- Population
- 1,958,939
- Median income
- $71,722
- Median age
- 36.9
- Median home value
- $205,600
- Below poverty line
- 198,466
- Bachelor's degree+
- 280,101
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2022)
Agriculture
- Total farms
- 44,479
- Cropland
- 21,217,519 acres
- Market value
- $29,413M
Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture (2022)
Public Health
- Obesity rate
- 36.6%
- Diabetes rate
- 10.6%
- Smoking rate
- 12.1%
- High blood pressure
- 32.7%
- Uninsured
- 8.6%
Source: CDC BRFSS Prevalence Data (2023, 2022 fallback)
National Parks & Sites
- National parks
- 0
- Total NPS sites
- 10
- Sites
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, California National Historic Trail, Homestead National Historical Park, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Missouri National Recreational River, Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, Niobrara National Scenic River, Oregon National Historic Trail, Pony Express National Historic Trail, Scotts Bluff National Monument
Source: National Park Service API
Climate
- Avg temperature
- 49.1°F
- Avg high
- 62.0°F
- Avg low
- 36.3°F
- Annual precipitation
- 26.6 in
- Annual snowfall
- 28.2 in
Source: NOAA Climate Normals (2010)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the capital of Nebraska?▾
Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska. It is the state's second-largest city and home to the University of Nebraska, whose Cornhuskers football team is a source of intense state pride.
What are the Sandhills?▾
The Nebraska Sandhills are a 20,000-square-mile region of grass-covered sand dunes — the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere. The dunes sit atop the Ogallala Aquifer, which sustains the cattle ranching that is the region's economic base. It is one of the most intact grassland ecosystems in North America.
Why is Nebraska called the Cornhusker State?▾
Nebraska is called the Cornhusker State because of its long history of corn production. Before mechanical harvesting, cornhusking (removing the husk from ears of corn by hand) was a common task and even a competitive sport in rural Nebraska.
What is Berkshire Hathaway?▾
Berkshire Hathaway is a multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, led by legendary investor Warren Buffett. It owns companies like GEICO, Dairy Queen, and Duracell, and holds major stakes in Apple, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America.
Data sources
U.S. Census Bureau · USDA NASS · CDC BRFSS · National Park Service · NOAA CDO
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau. This product uses the NASS API but is not endorsed or certified by NASS.
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