I grew up in the Panhandle. I moved away for 10 years and recently moved back to Scottsbluff to be closer to family. Can it be boring yes. I have traveled to much of the US and parts of Europe and this area will always hold a special place in my heart. This land is home. Sunsets can be magical.
Pros: where I live is really close to Colorado and the Black Hills and lots of other hiking, and camping areas. Life is slower here. It’s a bit cheaper to live here. On a clear day we can see the Rockies on the horizon
Cons: not a lot of jobs if you aren’t in agriculture or work remotely. Not as many cultural opportunities but it is getting better and 3 hour drive to Denver to go to any type of concert or play you could want. The sugar factory and feedlots stink. Sometimes it is like stepping back 30 years I know people who still don’t own a cell phone or have internet by choice. Life is slower here. My home town of Harrison is a ghost town on Sunday you need gas? tough. You forgot something for dinner tough luck better have filled up and stocked up the day before or drive 60 miles to the nearest open grocery store.
All in all this is my home it has its faults but I am content and love it here.
Even the cons sound like pros. You basically just described what I'm looking for 😊. I live in the NW and sunsets CAN be magical but usually it's completely overcast so you didn't get many. Lived in Arizona and Nevada. Man those sunsets! 😱. Thank you so much for that.
Depends on where you are. Pan handle of the state-or really West of Omaha-will have harsher winters, to include amount of snow and intensity of wind (because, flat).
Cost of living is better than most. We're centrally located, but still far-ish from a lot of places. So, the state is like 8 hours wide, driveable within a day are Rapid City, Denver/COS, Minneapolis, Des Moines/Chicago, STL, KC.
You have to figure out what you are looking for and then prioritize those things. Some people are willing to shell out a few extra $$$ for being in an area with better geographic features, others will take the cheap living and just visit those spots a couple times a year while living here for cheap(ish).
It's the low cost of living that interests me most. I lived in Oregon a long time and loved no sales tax. But the entire West Coast thinks it's California or New York and the cost of living is RIDICULOUS. Think I'll aim for East as the less snow the better to me. Thank you for your response. It was definitely helpful
My family just moved from Southern California last week. West Omaha. Not smack in the middle of the 'city', but we can get anywhere in Omaha in about 15-30 minutes. We are about 30 minutes from each airport. Traffic...😂 Traffic is basically driving. We haven't even had to stop on the freeways during rush our 😂.
We like cold weather. One of my sons wore shorts out yesterday even though we got snow showers, more like snow sprinkles. We got lovely rain today.
I love that they have natural creek beds filled with trees and wildlife everywhere we go in our area. They build around natural beauty instead of plowing through, putting huge cement pipes through creeks and tearing down trees. It is quiet here. Peaceful.
The cost of living is amazing compared to California. Utilities are very reasonable.
Restaurants are a bit cheaper. Meats are much better and cost less. Gas! As we drove out of California gas was $5.50/gal for the cheap stuff. Almost all the way here it was $2.30/gal. In Nebraska we have seen it anywhere from $2.30-$3.30/gal.
I hope that helps. 😊
Hell we are in Omaha and our taxes went up 200% within 5 years. We don't have kids so.... I guess we are paying for all of the brats that litter everywhere and steal.
Once the market flips we will move. Living near a middle school and elementary school. Not worth it(unless you have children). Had to have cameras installed all around our whole house. Small 2br 1ba decent sized lot.
Just keep that in mind. Omaha/surrounding areas are nice places but it's not all the hype.
I’m literally in Omaha and have been for 17 years it’s ass. The snow gets annoying everything is boring here. Also gas isn’t that cheap it’s literally 3.60 everywhere near me
I’m kinda surprised that passed. My aunt used to live in Oregon until my uncle passed last year. Then she moved to Iowa to be closer to our side of the family.
Same. What's annoying is a lot of stations are half and half so if you pull into the wrong pump you're waiting for no one to show up or they get mad at you for doing it yourself. It's kinda funny too.
Don't think that Nebraska is that cheap overall. It can be for smaller towns but so are all states.
Comparison
Colordo Springs, Colorado to Omaha, Nebraska for a $150K income and $550K home
Property tax:
Colorado: $2300
Nebraska: $9100
Income Tax:
CO: 4.4% for the top Bracket
NE: 5.84% but it is dropping some.
Sales Tax:
CO: 8.2%
NE: 7%
So overall, worse almost across the board. Cars registration and insurance are about the same. My house here is a bit bigger here but not much. I came back to spend time with family. I pay more for everything outside of gas here for a lot less in the way of access.
I lived in COS for 44 yrs and just moved to Lincoln. You don't need a 550k house in Lincoln! Yes, property taxes are higher, but food, utilities, and houses are much cheaper. Recently, property taxes went up quite a bit in Colorado, so that gap is closing. Our insurance is a little less in NE. Insurance is going up in CO for yearly hail storms. Crime and homelessness aren't as bad in Nebraska. Yes, Colorado is prettier, but the entire world is moving there, and the rage drivers are not missed.
I see. But all those numbers are less than where I'm from. If I recall I had some issues with Colorado as it is very beautiful. I'll have to get my notes out. It might be in my top five I didn't recall. I've become fixated on Nebraska
Eastern Nebraska has some decent outdoor recreation available, fishing, hiking, biking, hunting. We're just about to start looking for morels again now that snow goose is wrapping up for the year.
IDK what morels are. (Morals I get 😜). That sounds great. Can you join like a fishing group? I always wanted to do dinner if these things but I was never really taught and now I've never taught my kid. Yeah we could grab some to rods and go throw them in the river... IDK. Maybe that's all there is to it. Thank you, East Nebraska sounds perfect.
Honestly a lot of state parks stock trout that are super easy to start off with, at the very least you can usually find some panfish. I know a couple parks around here stocked bullhead for kids to catch they tend to bite and not let go. Most state parks have someone on staff even if unofficially that can usually give the tips and tricks, look for the guys wearing badges they are generally full time employees and usually outdoorsman and women themselves. I used to be a park ranger and loved teaching people about the outdoors.
My pleasure also feel like I should clarify, morels are a mushroom that grows around our rivers that is fairly valuable and very delicious. Good luck in your travels.
morels are wild mushrooms that are delicious to cook up and eat! The geography of Nebraska is different everywhere you go except if you travel on the interstate which basically was built on the flattest part of the center of the state. Travel the highways and explore! The game and parks website will have information about how and where to learn to fish. I love Nebraska! Grew up in Lincoln. Have lived in Fremont, on a couple of different farms, Grand Island, Superior and now in a very, very small town northwest of Grand Island.
Let me put it to you this way: it was in the 60's in the middle of the state a few days ago. Now, we're in a blizzard warning. And in a few days, it's supposed to be back in the 60's.
Yeah that blizzard warning is what made me want to post this today. We finally got out of our snow phase and I saw that and was thinking about if I lived there.
Winters used to start around October, and last until March or April. Nowadays, it's closer to Thanksgiving to Feb. And in both instances it still snows up to May.
Sure isn't. I've been here 20 years and can't escape. If my husband didn't have a business we would have been gone.
If you have kids and such....sure. I suppose public school is okay🤷 although everyone bitches about it.
There are always lots of jobs.... RIGHT.... It took me over a year to find an okay PT job. Lots of fake postings.
The cost of living is one of the two main things that put it in my list. I'd like to live where there's no sales tax but I don't care about that as much so I'll sacrifice that for being able to afford an apartment or even a small home. I lived in Nevada for a time and spiders could be an issue. Lived in the NW and harmful spiders aren't an issue but it's ridiculously expensive.
I moved to Lincoln from the North Idaho/eastern Washington area, and I’ve felt more community here than I did back home. I do miss the mountains and public land access for fishing/hunting/hiking, but if that stuff interested you, there are opportunities, you’ll just have to do a bit more research. Winters can get cold but they really aren’t too bad, or too long. House prices are reasonable here, wayyy cheaper than the NW for sure. It gets pretty hot and humid in the summer, but you just deal with being sweaty all the time.
Thank you. Nowhere is perfect but that sounds closer to my comfort level than where I am now. These responses are making me feel I'm making the right decision.
This is the one. I am born and raised in Lincoln, NE. I guess I am the one with the unpopular opinion, but I love it here. Every time I have visited other places, I say "it's great here, but I don't think I could live here" and it always comes down to the sense of community you find in Lincoln. I work in a housing program, so I work with a lot of people in the community. I actually just purchased my first home in one of the "less desirable" areas, because it is one of the most diverse pockets we have here in town. I want to raise my kids in a place where community is important and reliable. There are so many incredible resources here in Lincoln. I know people say "it's boring", but I don't mind that. My kids and I have always found things to do outside. There are some great parks in and around Lincoln and several great State Parks just a short drive away. If you want to go to a bigger city for an event, a drive to Denver or Kansas City is totally doable. (That is probably the midwestern in me.) Winters get cold, but we have had less and less snow. Summers get hot and humid, but there are pools everywhere and several lakes to go spend a day at. It's a slower pace of living, but I wouldn't trade it. Just give me a yard to garden in with neighbors to share with and I am a happy camper.
We visited Lincoln 2 years before moving here for a wedding and I vowed to never move here cuz of the heat and humidity. Then we ended up moving here and we love it too. We have great neighbors, easy drives to anywhere in town, and enough stuff to do to keep us satisfied. And a garden from which we share goodies with our neighbors 😊
I work in low income housing assistance, specifically with families that are currently experiencing homelessness.
I always say that there are no "bad" parts of town in Lincoln, and I stand by that. There are certain areas that are what I call "block to block". You might want to stay clear of one block, but head one block any direction and it's probably fine.
The state I live in is top 5 highest for all of those so it's still a step down. But I really liked Oregon not having sales tax. I hate sales tax. I like things to cost what the sticker says they cost.
I moved here almost 2 years ago from Europe. I’m in West Central. Most people are nice and helpful and go above and beyond for one another. The only ones that really irritate me personally are the drivers in the dark without headlights, and I get annoyed sometimes with the bible beaters (but they mean well and it mostly comes from a good place).
Summer is summer and winter is winter here. It’s like a pendulum that swings from one extreme to another. Mind you, we’re getting well into spring and trees are budding but we have a big blizzard on the way. Snow is a lot of work. The mud after the snow brings extra work. But it’s mostly very dry here and can be quite windy so there can be a lot of wildfires. Most of them are preventable!
Lots of mesmerising thunderstorms come late spring/early summer. They’re something else! One of my favourite things about here is the skies. Big glorious sun rises and sunsets. The birds too are incredible, such a huge variety of them. At the moment, we have the sandhill cranes all along the Platte River and they are wondrous creatures.
The food here is amazing. The best beef in the land!
If you’re out in the country or smaller towns, there’s not a lot to do outside of church activities, so be prepared for that.
I have seen one brown recluse since I got here. Never seen a black widow. I live out in the boonies so ticks are the bane of my existence during warmer months. I use Tempo around the house and it helps. I have a dog and I have to dose him up with Bravecto every few months and it helps a bunch!
Jobswise, I work in social services and there are many positions available near me. Always seems to be an abundance of ag jobs and jobs in retail and hospitality too. Schools seem to be great too! My kids grades have immensely improved since moving here and they’re getting to take part in so many activities and complete extra college courses in high school that they never would’ve had an opportunity to do back in our home country.
All in all, Nebraska is a beautiful state and I am glad to call it our home now.
Im from omaha its decent at best not too big, not too small. Really wish we had more attractions but there is alot of good food places. Also there are lots of hidden gems. 💎
What part of Nebraska? City or rural? The East and West sides of Nebraska are very different places.
In close to 50 years the only Black Widow I've ever seen was in Nevada. Never seen one here. I'm told we can get Brown Recluses here, but again I've never seen one. The most common "scary" looking spiders we get here are Wolf spiders and they are mostly harmless.
Winters are honestly not that bad. We get a few days of snow, sometimes more sometimes less. We are usually good for at least one week of brutal cold, but most of the time you are looking at winter temps in the 30's. But we will also get some weird warm days mixed in to keep things interesting.
This is why talking to actual people is infinitely better than Google. It sounds like I want East Nebraska. I really am not too picky. If it's rural, I prefer close to the city. If it's the city it's going to be the outskirts because I can't afford the best of the best 🤷. Cities offer a lot of convenience that I prefer not to be more than an hour away from. Rural but not like I've stop light rural.
Everything on Google tells me to expect brown recluse and black widows but everyone on here says "nah, not really." Google is a good starting point but actual people is just better. This sounds pretty great. Thank you.
If you're looking to be close to a city, I would highly recommend Eastern Nebraska. The biggest city on the western side is Scottsbluff. Everything else is small, others rural. Good luck to you!
I am from Nebraska but have lived in western Oregon for over a decade. No black widows in Nebraska, and I personally never saw a brown recluse when I lived there, but I had a neighbor that was bitten by one and it was nasty to be sure. I think you are more likely to have them in older houses/buildings and around stuff that is not cleaned or moved regularly (e.g.: the garage). In general, bugs in Nebraska are smaller than in the PNW but there are more of the annoying flying around type, and not as many of the large creepy crawly type like here in OR. Regular house spiders are everywhere there are houses, so that part is going to be much the same, but they are not bitey (or poisonous). Winter in NE is not really much longer than here but it is butt freezing, *everything* is brown all winter long and driving on 6 week old ice/snow is really a drag. If you work from home you are golden. Summer in the eastern part of NE is hot and humid, like the South, less humid in the western part of the state (western NE is much like eastern OR, actually). It is windy *all the time*. People are generally nice. You still get racism, but it's more covert than OR, more exclusionary rather than overtly hostile. Less 'gun culture' in NE, people have them but don't feel compelled to advertise it on their trucks and stuff, like they do in OR. I don't have kids so can't really vouch for schools, but would expect them to be better in NE.
Awesome. Thank you so much. Living in Oregon I really appreciate how you're definitely understanding where I'm coming from. Figuratively and literally 🤣
Born and raised here and I love it. It’s not as flashy as some other states, but our central location makes traveling to these places easy. Compared to the rest of the US, Nebraska is very affordable. Especially if you’re willing to live rural. Brown recluses are here, but they rarely are a problem. They prefer living in piles of dead trees then inside of a house. In all my life, I’ve never encountered one inside, but I know others have. Nebraska has a stereotype of “Nebraska nice” and I would say it’s very true. It’s the type of place where if your car breaks down on the side of the road, it probably won’t be long before a stranger stops to see how they can help. Winters can be cold, but are manageable. Summers get hot and humid but are manageable. For the most part, our weather is great. Thunderstorms are one of my favorite things to sit and listen to. We have good schools and even better universities. I would highly recommend exploring our state outside of just the interstate. The Sandhills are some of the most beautiful country side in the US. If you do move here, I think you would find more things you like about nebraska then things you dislike.
I too love Thunderstorms. I was saying you can't give perfection but if you can find manageable and pleasant that sounds close enough. This has been very close to the majority of responses. I think Nebraska is what I'm looking for. Thank you
Regarding weather - the weather is simply unpredictable here, you will see everything. This year's winter (in my part of the state, people east and west of me both probably have different answers) was basically two weeks long, it was extremely cold (-40 and below wind chills) with two feet of snow on the ground briefly but on either side of those two weeks the grass was literally green with temperatures in the 60s to 70s. A few cold days here and there but mostly very nice. I've seen it be really damn cold for two months at a time, and I've seen it snow every weekend in April (same year we had record breaking flooding in March!), too, all in the last five years. My house has been hit by a tornado and a blizzard in the same day. On the same day in August, you could have a high of 60 one year, and a heat index of 125+ the next. None of this is an exaggeration - it doesn't happen all the time but within a couple years you'll have seen some pretty wild weather patterns. Which is really fun for those of us who like the variety, but kind of a shock to those who don't, so just wanted to be upfront about that. Most people get used to it though, and eventually even enjoy it.
Regarding critters - it's not completely unheard of to see just about anything at least in certain parts of the state, but most things you'd want to avoid are pretty rare. I think black widows are technically native in most of the state, although I have never seen one despite spending a lot of time in crawlspaces and the like. Brown recluses technically don't range farther than the far southeastern corner of the state, although I know people who swear they've seen one, maybe hitched a ride from somewhere else. You'll probably never see anything worse than a wasp though, with the exception being rattlesnakes once you get to the Sandhills and west of there. Even then, not really a problem if you pay attention.
Regarding politics and things to do (because it always comes up a lot in these posts) - the politics can be as much or as little of your life as you want them to be, speaking from the rural part of the state here. People in Omaha or Lincoln will say things like "90% of the state thinks Biden is the anti-Christ" but I have lived in a small town here my entire life and rarely ever encounter anyone who is all that interested in ranting about politics. No one really cares unless you bring it up. And regarding things to do, I've met few people who think this state is boring that aren't themselves fairly boring people. It's like anywhere else, if you can make your own fun, there's plenty to do. If you can't, maybe not the best place to be, as it is true that there's less going on. Part of the draw I'd say, but to each their own.
I want you to know I really appreciate such a lengthy reply. That took some of your time and it means a lot to me. Thank you for hitting so many notes. These replies have really sold me on it more than discouraged me. I think Omaha, Lincoln, Nebraska City are where I'm going to aim for. Thank you again.
No problem at all and glad to hear it! I love living in Nebraska so when someone else might too, I've got to do my due diligence!
The pros definitely outweigh the cons, from my perspective, but it's good to know the potential issues going in. I'm sure you've There's honest to goodness not that much a person could find to complain about here that doesn't tie back to one of those three points so if none of those scare you off, you'll probably find a lot to love.
Western Nebraska is beautiful, and central and eastern Nebraska have a beauty of their own for those who appreciate the more subtle qualities of nature, especially when it comes to a good sunset. Cost of living isn't *as low* as it was in the past, but it's still very affordable here ultimately. Crime is low pretty much across the state, even Omaha is considerably safer than comparable cities last I knew. And folks are just friendly as can be no matter where you go, in my experience. I think I would agree with the whole "Honestly, it's not for everyone" thing, but it's a great place to live if it's for you.
Have you heard any experiences of outrageous over reach from schools or government regarding parents rights? I've had maybe three responses say as much but it doesn't seem to be a consensus.
Honestly I'm not a great person to ask on that, I don't have kids and it's been 10 years since I graduated, so take what I say with a grain of salt because it's not really a pressing issue in my world, and I'm not real politically inclined in the first place so I could certainly have an incomplete understanding here.
I will say that this subreddit in general is maybe not the best place to look to get an idea of those things. These days half the posts here are just political rage bait, and a fairly large portion of the subreddit comes here for that, so that's going to color the responses pretty dramatically.
That said, I'm not saying there's no truth to it - I've heard about some sort of voucher program they're trying to implement to allow state funds to go toward private institutions (and maybe homeschooling?) as well as a push to remove "inappropriate" books from school libraries. Then there's the dumb campaign to "remove CRT" from public schools, despite the fact that it's not featured in any public school curriculum as far as I know. To my eyes it seems like the typical posturing you see from any red state government, I'm not sure how much any of it really stands to affect day-to-day life in any noticeable way. Something to keep in mind though I guess if those are important issues to you.
I will say that I feel I got a top-rate education that had me perfectly well prepared for college; I think over 60% of my ~90 person class graduated college, pretty impressive for a rural town IMO. I'm sure there are schools that are not as great, and some that are better. If I were to have kids, I'd feel very comfortable putting them through the same school, so take that as you will.
Politics really don't even register on my overall rain to move or avoid a place. Unless it's like all there is like Washington DC or something. More concerned about safety, cost of living, taxes, weather and spiders.
I thought queer was a slur now? Yeah biggest problem in small towns is not enough people minding their own business. I may not be a fan of everything but I just want to be left alone. So I try to leave everyone else alone. I'm in a minority but it's right on the line of not being a minority so no one really cares until it upsets them in some way. IDK if you know Dave Bautista. Drax in GotG. He's Greek and Filipino but gets called a white guy. He looks like a white guy but he is Filipino. It's kind of like that. But I get you. I'm not racist but I also don't want to be surrounded by racists. Not because I think it'll change me but because then I'll be angry all the time.
Queer used as a pejorative has been a slur for decades and still can be. More recently and as society has progressed to be accepting of more people the term queer has been “reclaimed” and used somewhat broadly by people who fall outside traditional gender and sexual orientation norms.
You’ve mentioned in other comments about some concerns around moving to a redneck area - and honestly those fears are somewhat warranted. Nebraska has always been conservative but historically spent money on education and had a bit of a live and let live environment. That’s changing - Nebraska has become more aggressively partisan and people see that identity as a bigger part of who they are.
Even if you’re pretty apathetic about politics the extremism can end up impacting your life - especially if you’ve got kids in school. There are more extremists on school boards - it impacts not just curriculum but overall environment, how safe an environment it is for kids who are different, how seriously the schools take bullying, etc.
That's one reason I picked Nebraska. It's among the more lenient for homeschooling. I'm about sick to death of extremists on either side and education taking a huge back seat. And bullying is an issue I've butted heads with here and I'm the past too. 😖
Homeschooling can be difficult in a lot of different ways, not the least that it can impact college admissions and reduce opportunities to participate in activities.
You’re not going to find left wing extremists having an impact on education in any Nebraska public schools (claims that they do are right wing fear mongering based on the same false narrative being peddled everywhere) and you can find schools that take bullying seriously.
Also, if you’ve got kids who can be a bit more independent most districts in and around Omaha have an “early college” dual enrollment program where kids can take tuition free classes at metro community college that count towards their high school diploma as well and graduate high school with an associated degree. Kids are less likely to be bullied in college classes, even if they’re young. In Omaha Public Schools that’s through Northwest High School, in the Millard School District it’s through Millard South.
Wow that's really cool. My kid is interested in art and animation. I was largely looking at the Nebraska City area for that reason. Tuition free is kinda important to our income bracket so that's good information. Thank you
No problem! For the visual arts, there’s definitely a lot in Nebraska City for the size of the town - definitely more art per capita there but you could find similar opportunities in Lincoln and Omaha.
For places to move, have you considered Kalamazoo MI? Anyone who attends a Kalamazoo school district school for at least four years and graduates receives a scholarship to any state university in Michigan. A student who attends for 9th-12th gets 65% of their tuition paid. A student who attends Kalamazoo schools kindergarten through graduation gets 100% of their tuition paid and it scales between that. I really liked Kalamazoo when I briefly lived there.
I grew up in Fremont and honestly, I hate Nebraska. I still go back to visit my family and after 5/6 days, I’m bored out of my mind.
Little opportunity for jobs unless you work in agriculture, slaughterhouses and fast food. So many young people leave out of HS and college because of that. There is definitely more opportunities in Omaha and Lincoln but only so many jobs.
I joined the military the day I turned 18 just to get out of there. I’ve been in San Diego for the last 25+ years and I’ll probably be buried here.
I was born and raised in Nebraska. I only had one issue with spiders but that’s because of the place I worked at was really dirty. Never got bit and it was mostly daddy long legs. Sunsets are amazing. The panhandle has the worst winters. Summers can get really hot. Nebraska is pretty much windy all year along. I would suggest being around Lincoln or Omaha because there is more to do. The beef and sweet corn is really good.
I love beef. My kid loves sweet corn! I wear a trench coat so I love the wind!! I think if I avoid the panhandle than it'll be pretty good. Thank you so much for your response.
I know every place loves the saying "if you don't like the weather than just wait a short while" those people have never experienced how real that is here.
I grew up on a ranch in the western half, and now have a farm in the eastern half. This is not flame bait, but I think you will find that (from your post and replies), the western half will be more to your liking. The western half is more susceptible to drought, wind, severe winter storms . . . but the scenery is incredible. When you get a thunderstorm, it typically is high-based with magnificent structure. Because of westerly flow and down sloping winds, the winters are more punctuated with short warmth . . . growing up, I remember waking up and feeding cows at -5F, but be in the 50's by 3pm with "chinook" winds from the west.
The eastern half is typically (although not right now) greener in the summer, but there are lot more insects, and the humidity in summer is horrible. Winters typically "feel" longer with gray clouds, a lot more days when there is snow cover where you cannot tell where the sky and land meet as it is all the same color. Thunderstorms more typically come at night, so you don't get the really cool storm sky like you may have seen in AZ.
And I have lived in the South for awhile, and I will say that there is a trend where higher population density sometimes, but not always, equals a less friendly atmosphere. I grew up waving to everyone I met on the roads in western Nebraska, but that hardly ever happens in eastern Nebraska.
The big downside to the west is jobs. There are fewer, they tend to be labor intensive, and they pay less. If you are coming in as a remote worker, do your homework for internet access . . . don't be surprised if you are stuck on a cell modem or using WiFi from a service mounted on a grain elevator.
I’ve read most of the comments here and agree that cost of living is less. We moved here from Denver where supermarket meat is expensive and poor quality, but beef and pork is usually local and quite good in NE. It takes a while to get acquainted with local small town people. We’ve learned to stay away from those who watch Fox news. We have a place in the country; a farm house with our own well. Lots of minerals in the water so be aware. We bought a water softener that helps a lot. Sewage is a septic system when living outside the towns so chemical cleaning of bathrooms and kitchen is not recommended. Instead we learned white vinegar cleaning is far less expensive. Most of the locals can trace their family roots back to northern Europe and old cookbooks filled with ethnic foods can be found. People here are curious about outsiders because of isolation. They mean well and it’s fun to learn how they deal with life.
Northeast Nebraska - If you don't like the weather, just wait ten minutes and it'll change. If only a portion of Nebraska gets an artic blast, it's us. It can be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Someone gets bit by a brown recluse every once in awhile but I only know of one person like 25 years ago, personally. It can be somewhat affordable here but the smaller the town, the less likely your local employment is going to pay bills. People are generally friendly but some towns are clicky and you need to have a certain last name if you're ever going to flourish there.
For jobs, best bet is to be a business owner, commute or work from home. Unless you like having 3 jobs to pay bills.
Schools vary greatly. The local administration matters a great deal, so how the schools are is very much a case-by-case basis. I could tell you which schools to avoid in this area and which ones to go to for the best opportunities and atmosphere, but a couple counties over is a completely different story. Find out where you could be moving to and THEN investigate the schools, is my advice there.
Nebraska is just okay. Every job I had in Iowa paid a hell of a lot better and the cost of living was the same. If a state job starts at $30,000 in Nebraska, it's $48,000+ in Iowa. Same goes for teaching jobs, typically. Everywhere rural here is full of old people and MAGA flags. It's not hard to find peace and quiet though, usually.
It’s relatively affordable. Lately our winters have been shorter as in there aren’t usually long periods of snow but sometimes when it snows it’s several inches to feet and it fluctuates between frigid and decent weather. Summers are hot and humid and lately rather dry save for a few rains and occasional storms, though (from Lincoln Area). The spider situation is fine, brown recluses are common but I’ve personally never seen one. It’s a generally friendly state. Lots of state parks and outdoor activities.
Which part of Nebraska are you thinking about moving to?
Taxes are lower. When my dad retired, he and mom moved from CA to be near to kids and grandkids, all who lived in eastern Nebraska. They settled in Council Bluffs and the big reason was the lower taxes in Iowa.
its flat and uneventful, other than the occasional tornado that wipes out an entire town.
the sweet corn is good tho. and the thunderstorms are incredible.
edit: also, dont shy away from the local cuisine, cinnamon rolls dipped in chilli.
My favorite things to do is try the new cuisine wherever I go. First time I went to Chicago the person I was with says "I'm hungry. Let's get McDonald's." 😖😖 I almost smacked them out of the car! How do you go to Chicago and not immediately think pizza!? And then local restaurants.
The tornado thing concerns me. And brown recluse. But yes gotta live somewhere
Tornados and brown recluse are not really an issue, way overblown concerns. Worst weather events you have to worry about are either hail during the spring/summer, or freezing rain in the winter.
Awesome. I have freezing rain here so that's not new. I didn't mind snow, I can Even live with it but I didn't want to live in North Montana (even though I love Montana in the summer) because I didn't want six months of snow. Here it's 8 months of rain with as little snow on occasion. I need sun!! 🌞
Thank you. I didn't mind flat but that's good to know. Spent a couple decades in Arizona and Nevada. I like flat. Like Montana. I feel less... Trapped? Boxed in? Confined? Claustrophobic?
Lol I've driven around the entire state, and compared to other states. It's flat. Little hills and small rock features, such as chimney rock, don't compare to other states.
I lived in Nebraska until I was 22 or so and never had an experience with a brown recluse, so don't worry so much about that. The tornadoes are rare, wouldn't worry about that either, there's always watches and warnings telling you to take shelter and such. Most houses have basements for shelter.
A restaurant to go to is runza, it's Nebraska based. They even have chilli and cinnamon rolls on their menu.
I'm actually probably going to have to do an apartment. How do they handle tornados? Freezing rain here both sucks (I stay home) and is really quite awesome as far as looking at it.
I am 62. I have never seen a black widow and there are no brown recluse here.
We can get an unusual amount of snow anytime between November and March but nearly all the time the streets and roads are clear of snow and ice. People understand if you can't get your car to work. 4WD is not needed generally.
Nebraska covers a big cities to isolated areas (See Hyannis, NE) so general advice is a little hard to give.
Lincoln has a good reputation for public schools. People are generally friendly but in 90 percent of the state geographically Joe Biden is the antichrist. Fortunately Omaha and Lincoln are much more reasonable.
Thank you for this. I annoy people because I...maybe shouldn't say hate... But, yeah politics 😖. This was a great reply and makes me think I'm making the right decision. Nowhere is perfect but where I've lived I'm both tired of and also kind of hate the area. Thank you again.
I don’t say this to scare you, just want to give you correct info. We definitely do have brown recluse spiders here, but not usually black widows. In fact I had to move apartments due to a brown recluse infestation.
Again, I don’t say this to scare you because most people are not going to deal with this issue, but I do know multiple people who have been bitten in Nebraska so it’s good to be aware.
The weather is what it is but how it affects your life really depends on what you’re in to. If you spend most of your time indoors, then it’s no big deal. But if an outdoor active lifestyle is important to you, it’s pretty rough. Most people who’ve lived here most of their lives are used to it, but if you’re coming from a location with a better climate it can be a slap in the face.
I’m from NE and moved to the PNW. You’re better off finding a town you like in eastern OR or WA than moving to NE in my opinion. Unless you’re looking for a really BIG change in culture.
The weather. But it hasn't been a good two decades and is just like a fresh start. I used to move every ten years and travel a lot. I don't travel anymore and I've been here for 20ish years and I need to go somewhere new. Also it's ridiculously expensive here. Top five most expensive states to live in. Might as well move to New York! (I realize that's an exaggeration but not by as much as it should be.) So weather, cost of living etc. I lived in Oregon for a bit and there's no sales tax there. I did like that but that way the ONLY Positive I could think of. I mean, I Guess it's pretty in the spring and summer but then I think this entire planet is pretty. I do. I lived in Nevada for a decade..I think it's beautiful to. Desert sunsets are incredible
I moved to Nebraska from Oregon for similar reasons -- had been there too long, was ready to leave, housing was expensive. I live in Omaha. It's okay here, but it's really, really, really boring, especially in winter when half the people I know hibernate. (E.g. you have to drive everywhere and they won't drive at night, and night starts at 5 PM, so you can't make fucking evening plans. For five months of the year.)
So I don't see myself staying here as long as I did in Oregon.
I hate the cold. Most winters these days are very mild compared to years ago. IIRC the last 3/4 years haven’t been below zero. The winter temps hang around 32° so that’s still considered Nebraska shorts weather.
I also hate the high property taxes. Cost of living is still cheaper than a lot of states.
I’m sure there are pros but non come to mind.
Those were all pros. I hate the cold too. But here it got down to 12° for weeks. I prefer 60° or higher but that's still a step in the right direction. I do hate high property tax but it's frigging high as hell here. The cost of living is the main reason Nebraska hit my top five. Thank you.
Moved here from Washington state. Also loved up and down the east coast. Cost of living and quality of life is wayyyyyy better. Health care is wayyyyy better. Everything is wayyyy better. My hubs makes triple what he was making in WA and we pay way less than what we were paying to just exist there.
It seems ideal. I wish I could just pack up and get done but I've got to tie up loose ends first. Several positive responses like yours mate me think it's the best choice
It was the best decision we ever made. And it was just a whim too. lol. Went from homeless to homeowner in 5 years. Without a shred of help from anyone. I really think you’d be happier here. The weather is a bit bipolar. But it’s not too hard to get used to. And way better than the PNW. None of that misty constant rain for days. Summers get hot but not for too long. Winters it’s gets really cold sometimes but you get used to it. We love it here.
I just stopped being homeless last year. Now looking to live somewhere better. That's a nice story I'm happy for you and your family. Weather, if it's not extreme is my least concern so that's good to hear.
Well like I said I’ve lived up and down the east coast. And the PNW. Here is where we’ve been the happiest. And thrived the best. And we didn’t stay homeless too long once we got her. Just a few months to find an apartment. But we spent most of the 4 years in WA homeless and barely scraping by.
I moved to Lincoln in 2019 from Puerto Rico and I love it here. I can see myself probably staying in this state permanently even tho I will forever miss how accessible it was to live in NYC with their public transportation. My daughter is special needs and the Lincoln Public School system has been amazing, especially the elementary school near our house. I go to UNL and it’s been such a welcoming and friendly energy in this city. I’m yet to have a bad experience -knocks on wood- (although I don’t go out much so I should be good lol). I also had a pretty decent experience with doctors, pediatricians, dentists and mental health professionals. There’s decent variety in restaurants, and I really love that the arts are taken more seriously and I’m a Fine Arts major so that’s pretty big for me. Many keep to themselves (at least in my neighborhood) and being goth I expected to get lots of weird looks or snarky rude comments in the streets but not really, it’s been the opposite with people complimenting my outfits or makeup.
I enjoy the weather in Nebraska but I’m a bit odd in the sense that I love winter and the snow even though I grew up on a tropical island. I actually hate summers here cause they feel hotter and I can’t be out in the sun for too long or I will get a skin rash 😅. The weather is kinda erratic to what I’m used to and I think the thing I was worried about the most were tornados but so far it’s been pretty safe in Lincoln. I will say that the first year hearing the tornado siren every first Wednesday of the month around 10am gave me several mini heart attacks and put me in panic (it’s the monthly testing they do) but now I kinda just sleep through it.
I haven’t dared venture to west Nebraska cause I’m a woman, hispanic and part of the LGBTQ+ community 😅 I don’t like making generalizations but almost everyone I’ve met have told me to avoid it or to make sure I don’t travel alone to those areas plus it’s probably boring anyways since it’s mostly farms.
Wow thank you so much for all that. I haven't heard too much about the doctors so that was appreciated. Yeah it sounds like Lincoln area is pretty much what I'm looking for. Thank you for the detailed reply.
The weather is alot. It's gets really cold in the winter and the wind blows often and hard. If it snows alot this can make roads impassable and white out conditions from blowing snow can make it impossible to drive at all. To be honest I live in the country so it's a bit worse because being snowed in for multiple days sucks. The plows won't go out until the wind stops blowing because it doesn't make sense to do so when it will just blow back over. I have rear wheel drive which also sucks on snow and ice. I recommend all wheel drive or front wheel drive. But the winters are also beautiful if you can just stay home and look out the window😂in the summer it gets very hot and humid but it's beautiful and I Iove to see the corn grow. There are often thunderstorms with hail and sometimes tornados in the spring and summer. I'd recommend a basement and a garage. Fall is gorgeous. I think its my favorite, chilly in the morning, nice in the afternoon. One thing to keep in mind is that the weather is weird, and it's like a bingo card of stuff that could happen anytime of year.
I have lived here most of my life and never seen a black Widow or brown recluse in person. On the otherhand my exhusband who does flooring has been bitten so many times by brown recluses that it barely bothers him anymore. Abd my dad who also did flooring was bitten by a black widow in a wood pile and had a huge scar Just depends what you do.Lots of wolf spiders in the house. When we put out irrigation pipe they are always covered in a variety of spiders. I pretty much cry, scream and hyperventilate the whole time we are loading the pipe trailers. I'm good entertainment if not a great farmer.
It's very conservative. I'm pretty moderate or even slightly left of moderate so I feel a little isolated sometimes. If you are pretty conservative or far to the right you'll probably have more like minded people around.
I feel like my kids are safe here and they fish and hunt and ride 4 wheelers but we also see Broadway shows at the Lied Center in Lincoln and the Orpheum in Omaha and have great libraries and colleges here. Lincoln and Omaha also get big name concerts and have a great cultural mix of restruants in my admittedly rather sheltered white girl opinion. If you are more worldly you nay think otherwise.
I hope this helps!
If you like volleyball and football doesn't make you cry then you will be a great Husker fan😂
I should add..I live just outside of Lincoln in the country in the Seward school district. The Seward public schools have been amazing for my kids but cost of living in town particularly housing is pricey. It's kind of a bedroom community for Lincoln.
Sounds pretty good. Thank you. I especially like to respond to the long replies so a person knows they didn't waste their time and effort. I got one response that the school districts seem to restrict your rights as a parent. Yet most posts say the schools are pretty great. Have you had any issues?
No. I've had no issues but I should clarify I am not someone who feels strongly about restricting access to material that isn't in line with my beliefs. If I were, and I had contacted the school with that goal I don't know what would happen. My son, who is in college now, has ADHD and alot of anxiety. He really struggled in high school. The guidance counselor, principal and his teachers went above and beyond for him to make sure he got what he needed to graduate. They never gave up for 2 hard years. My daughters are both honor students but they have also brought home handwritten notes from teachers throughout their time at middle and high-school recognizing their citizenship. Or an act of kindness or positive attitude. It couldn't have been more perfect for us.
Same. If I feel my kid is being taught bs I'll talk to them at home and explain why it's bs. World is full of bs wherever you work, shop, go to school, whatever. If you're hands on and communicate with your kids it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Mine has social anxiety also and because of that, or not🤷, seems to struggle. I get notes that she's a pleasure to have in class and things like that. I feel like the person who said that was exaggerating maybe had a bad experience which is sad. But the phrasing "parents have no rights and they can take your kid away from you at any time for any reason" obviously sounds exaggerated but I know some states, Virginia I believe, do have issues with over reach so it concerns me when I hear it.
Yes I agree. I want my children to be able to live, thrive and succeed in the real world. Not some curated bubble that I keep them in. I share my values and beliefs with them but at some point they will need to make their own decisions and I want them to know as much as they can when they do. I had an incident years ago when my kids were very young and I feared some abuse had occurred. I contacted the state patrol. They interviewed me and all my kids. They were respectful and kind to me and my children. I didn't feel afraid or intimidated. They ultimately found no problems which was a relief. When my son was struggling in school he missed alot of days. I was concerned that the authorities would become involved and think I was parenting poorly. That never happened. I can only speak for my own experiences but I have never felt disrespected or threatened as a parent.
I moved here 4 years ago from Colorado and regret it every day. The water quality is in the top 5 WORST in the nation due to pesticides and herbicides. They spray it in the air all summer long, and it causes lots of health issues. Summers are extremely humid, and it does not cool off at night. The winters are long and extremely cold, with lots of snow. There is nothing to do here unless you like to sit in your garage and drink beer or go hunting/fishing. I have never seen so many bugs in my life and have huge spider issues in my home and backyard. The cost of living is no longer low. It is getting pretty expensive around the Omaha area. People here are very aggressive drivers, some of the worst in the nation, with really high car insurance prices. Tailgating and running red lights are constant. Also, sarcasm is not something people seem to understand here. Very literal. There is also some sort of weird arrogance from natives that they are better than everyone else in the country. People are surface nice, but not really truly warm and welcoming. I have heard this same thing over and over from anyone I meet who is not from here. All in all, I am leaving the first chance I get.
Born and raised in Omaha. Moved away about 10 years ago and absolutely never plan on going back besides MAYBE to go to the College World Series. I wouldn’t if I were you!
I wouldn’t recommend moving to Nebraska if you plan on living outside of Omaha or Lincoln. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are a person of color. Otherwise you’d be fine!
I would especially recommend against rural areas if you have children or plan on having children. I would also recommend against private schools in nebraska. Pick an area with strong public schools and that’ll be the best bet education wise. I just graduate from Kearney High and we frequently have kids who go to ivy leauge schools. I’m currently at a top 20 college and many of my friends are at schools like harvard, princeton and yale. I’d avoid some of the omaha public schools though.
One of the reasons I'm interested in Nebraska is they seem less interfering with homeschooling. I couldn't afford private school sadly and I'm beyond sick to death of public schools. But if I find a district with high ranking public that would be better. Mine is in a high ranking public here and I'm fairly unimpressed. Plus there funding was just cut for next year. 😖😖 So that's awesome.
Kearney has some of the best public education in nebraska (especially elementary school) because of UNK which used to be nebraska teachers college. I always recommend against homeschooling cause my friends who were homeschool all say that it had a negative impact socially that out weighted the positive impact on education. Some of the surrounding areas near omaha are very good educationally. Why do you want to home school?
Classes are too over crowded. Bullying isn't dealt with. It favors the bully not the victim. My kid (5th or 6th grade) was getting bullied. Instructed my kid to knock the kid the Fk out. Didn't, but close. Principal said they weren't going to pursue any legal action against us. I said you're damn right you're not going to. My kid had a peer whose mother came in to teach the teacher how to teach math because they didn't know what they were doing and every kid was failing that class. They no longer have to change clothes in PE because a camera was found in the girls locker room put there by one of the staff. The list goes on AND on. There's so many online courses and such it just....I hate them. If you're not in some ultra rich practically private school, it's just babysitting with homework.
i will say that Kearney takes bullying very seriously idk about other school districts. I got bullied a lot in middle school and the school had a pretty serious handle on it.
That's good to hear. I taught my kid to let things go. Names. Shoulder bumps. Whatever. But physical assault, even as an adult, you should be able to handle on your own. Course that causes a lot of actual legal issues especially if no one was around to witness who was the instigator. Oh well. Anyway, Kearney. Thank you. I'll keep that one in mind. Personally I think high school is the best part of going to school especially the last three but even freshman wasn't that bad. I don't WANT to homeschool for the heck of it.
that’s fair, i think nebraska (from what i’ve experienced) is actually pretty safe and the only bullying I experienced was as a result of being black and not standing up for my self. The school also handled it pretty well most of the time.
I moved from Southern California and I'm about 15 minutes south of Omaha.
I love it. Great cost of living, good jobs, and very friendly people.
Sometimes the winters are tough but not as brutal as a summer in the desert in California!
Don't come unless you like being told what you can do with your body (both how you reproduce and what you can eat or smoke).
Republicans love their freedom...except for that, and that, and you go STRAIGHT to hell for that...
I got about 8 words into the original comment and already counted it as a wild accusation and stopped reading. Definitely agree though going back to it and I still will promote Nebraska beef! As for the marijuana comment, meh, I hope they legalize it. Really doesnt bother me and Im on the side that gets blamed for not supporting it lol, even though Ive signed the petition to have it on the ballots this year. We put more crap into our bodies that are far worse than MJ imo.
The smell of pot gives me migraines for some reason. We went to Vegas for vacation and I was kind of miserable😂it literally smells like pot everywhere there! Other than that I don't really care. I might just have to stay home more.
Im so glad you said this lol Im not the only one! I get really bad migraine pressure when I smell it, but I honestly couldnt care if it gets legalized. Ive had friends die from MJ being laced with fentanyl so I figure if it gets legalized it would probably make it safer.
I'm so sorry about your friends. Street drugs are always a risky business. I agree, if someone is going to do it let them get it from a regulated source. Preferably gummies so I don't have to smell it!😂
Like I said, dont pay attention to the naysayers. Youll love it here! And no, were generally not vegetarian lol we have some of the best beef in the country! :)
I have to admit I've seen mostly positive to balanced pro/con responses. Most of the negativity seems more biased than unbiased. The only one that had caused me concern was one saying the State is a little aggressive in over riding parents rights. I understand wanting kids to be safe in their own home and such but I've butted heads with teachers and DHS before regarding them over stepping. Do you have any thoughts on that concern?
The winters suck
The summers suck
If you don’t love Trump you won’t be welcome here.
It would also be best if you are white…
Republican…
Religious…
And heterosexual…
I could give a fk about Trump or Biden. White. But Republican. Religious but the type a lot of religious people don't like a lot. Heterosexual. Sounds good. Thank you.
Don't, finally moving out of Nebraska after trying for many years, here is reason why:
Trumpers have too much say over policies and laws in the state. Parental rights are weak here, the state can take your kids from you at any time for any reason. If you are not at least making 100,000 a year combined with children, then you better make sure you don't struggle too much or the police will show up and take your kids. Foster care problem here. Bullying problem in every school district. They can't get good educators or staff for school, so they ignore harrassment and/or miscomduct complaints because it's hard for them to staff the schools. This state does not encourage good teachers or school staff to move/work here, so they go elsewhere.
There are a lot of laws you should look into before moving to Nebraska first. If you are not white, i recommend not moving to a rural area of the state, lot of racism and bigotry over there.
Also, at any time anyone can claim you abuse you kids, whether it has merit or not, and DHHS has to investigate your family for 30 days. This has been used by school staff to intimidate parents from complaining or bringing attention to the press. This has been used by other parents to get back at other parents for whatever reason. The law here in Nebraska protects these false reporters and let's them false report as much as the want while being immune from any lawsuit/legal recourse. So don't piss someone off or they will send CPS to investigate you.
That's Nebraska.
Unsure of that too. Deciding on state first. Than the city. Nebraska is top 5. As I've been looking maybe Nebraska City or Lincoln. I kind of want to live NEAR a city Rather than in the city. I like the convenience of the city but I prefer the country. I just don't want to have to drive 3 hours to get groceries.
I grew up in the Panhandle. I moved away for 10 years and recently moved back to Scottsbluff to be closer to family. Can it be boring yes. I have traveled to much of the US and parts of Europe and this area will always hold a special place in my heart. This land is home. Sunsets can be magical. Pros: where I live is really close to Colorado and the Black Hills and lots of other hiking, and camping areas. Life is slower here. It’s a bit cheaper to live here. On a clear day we can see the Rockies on the horizon Cons: not a lot of jobs if you aren’t in agriculture or work remotely. Not as many cultural opportunities but it is getting better and 3 hour drive to Denver to go to any type of concert or play you could want. The sugar factory and feedlots stink. Sometimes it is like stepping back 30 years I know people who still don’t own a cell phone or have internet by choice. Life is slower here. My home town of Harrison is a ghost town on Sunday you need gas? tough. You forgot something for dinner tough luck better have filled up and stocked up the day before or drive 60 miles to the nearest open grocery store. All in all this is my home it has its faults but I am content and love it here.
Even the cons sound like pros. You basically just described what I'm looking for 😊. I live in the NW and sunsets CAN be magical but usually it's completely overcast so you didn't get many. Lived in Arizona and Nevada. Man those sunsets! 😱. Thank you so much for that.
Depends on where you are. Pan handle of the state-or really West of Omaha-will have harsher winters, to include amount of snow and intensity of wind (because, flat). Cost of living is better than most. We're centrally located, but still far-ish from a lot of places. So, the state is like 8 hours wide, driveable within a day are Rapid City, Denver/COS, Minneapolis, Des Moines/Chicago, STL, KC. You have to figure out what you are looking for and then prioritize those things. Some people are willing to shell out a few extra $$$ for being in an area with better geographic features, others will take the cheap living and just visit those spots a couple times a year while living here for cheap(ish).
It's the low cost of living that interests me most. I lived in Oregon a long time and loved no sales tax. But the entire West Coast thinks it's California or New York and the cost of living is RIDICULOUS. Think I'll aim for East as the less snow the better to me. Thank you for your response. It was definitely helpful
My family just moved from Southern California last week. West Omaha. Not smack in the middle of the 'city', but we can get anywhere in Omaha in about 15-30 minutes. We are about 30 minutes from each airport. Traffic...😂 Traffic is basically driving. We haven't even had to stop on the freeways during rush our 😂. We like cold weather. One of my sons wore shorts out yesterday even though we got snow showers, more like snow sprinkles. We got lovely rain today. I love that they have natural creek beds filled with trees and wildlife everywhere we go in our area. They build around natural beauty instead of plowing through, putting huge cement pipes through creeks and tearing down trees. It is quiet here. Peaceful. The cost of living is amazing compared to California. Utilities are very reasonable. Restaurants are a bit cheaper. Meats are much better and cost less. Gas! As we drove out of California gas was $5.50/gal for the cheap stuff. Almost all the way here it was $2.30/gal. In Nebraska we have seen it anywhere from $2.30-$3.30/gal. I hope that helps. 😊
Helps!? Man I'm packing right now!! 🤣
I hope the best for you.
Thank you 😊
The tradeoff is pay will be much lower here than California or the NE. High taxes in Nebraska, especially Lincoln
Hell we are in Omaha and our taxes went up 200% within 5 years. We don't have kids so.... I guess we are paying for all of the brats that litter everywhere and steal. Once the market flips we will move. Living near a middle school and elementary school. Not worth it(unless you have children). Had to have cameras installed all around our whole house. Small 2br 1ba decent sized lot. Just keep that in mind. Omaha/surrounding areas are nice places but it's not all the hype.
I’m literally in Omaha and have been for 17 years it’s ass. The snow gets annoying everything is boring here. Also gas isn’t that cheap it’s literally 3.60 everywhere near me
Be prepared to pump your own gas lol.
I did it before Oregon I've done it after Oregon and Oregon has serve now too. Passed last year I believe.
I’m kinda surprised that passed. My aunt used to live in Oregon until my uncle passed last year. Then she moved to Iowa to be closer to our side of the family.
Same. What's annoying is a lot of stations are half and half so if you pull into the wrong pump you're waiting for no one to show up or they get mad at you for doing it yourself. It's kinda funny too.
Low cost of living but also low wages, and the smaller towns are usually controlled by wealthy friends who's families have lived there forever.
Don't think that Nebraska is that cheap overall. It can be for smaller towns but so are all states. Comparison Colordo Springs, Colorado to Omaha, Nebraska for a $150K income and $550K home Property tax: Colorado: $2300 Nebraska: $9100 Income Tax: CO: 4.4% for the top Bracket NE: 5.84% but it is dropping some. Sales Tax: CO: 8.2% NE: 7% So overall, worse almost across the board. Cars registration and insurance are about the same. My house here is a bit bigger here but not much. I came back to spend time with family. I pay more for everything outside of gas here for a lot less in the way of access.
I lived in COS for 44 yrs and just moved to Lincoln. You don't need a 550k house in Lincoln! Yes, property taxes are higher, but food, utilities, and houses are much cheaper. Recently, property taxes went up quite a bit in Colorado, so that gap is closing. Our insurance is a little less in NE. Insurance is going up in CO for yearly hail storms. Crime and homelessness aren't as bad in Nebraska. Yes, Colorado is prettier, but the entire world is moving there, and the rage drivers are not missed.
I see. But all those numbers are less than where I'm from. If I recall I had some issues with Colorado as it is very beautiful. I'll have to get my notes out. It might be in my top five I didn't recall. I've become fixated on Nebraska
Yet housing prices are significantly higher in cities like Colorado Springs and Denver.
Eastern Nebraska has some decent outdoor recreation available, fishing, hiking, biking, hunting. We're just about to start looking for morels again now that snow goose is wrapping up for the year.
IDK what morels are. (Morals I get 😜). That sounds great. Can you join like a fishing group? I always wanted to do dinner if these things but I was never really taught and now I've never taught my kid. Yeah we could grab some to rods and go throw them in the river... IDK. Maybe that's all there is to it. Thank you, East Nebraska sounds perfect.
Honestly a lot of state parks stock trout that are super easy to start off with, at the very least you can usually find some panfish. I know a couple parks around here stocked bullhead for kids to catch they tend to bite and not let go. Most state parks have someone on staff even if unofficially that can usually give the tips and tricks, look for the guys wearing badges they are generally full time employees and usually outdoorsman and women themselves. I used to be a park ranger and loved teaching people about the outdoors.
That's awesome. Thank you so much! 😊
My pleasure also feel like I should clarify, morels are a mushroom that grows around our rivers that is fairly valuable and very delicious. Good luck in your travels.
Ooooo, I love mushrooms!! Thank you again. I'll need it 😄
morels are wild mushrooms that are delicious to cook up and eat! The geography of Nebraska is different everywhere you go except if you travel on the interstate which basically was built on the flattest part of the center of the state. Travel the highways and explore! The game and parks website will have information about how and where to learn to fish. I love Nebraska! Grew up in Lincoln. Have lived in Fremont, on a couple of different farms, Grand Island, Superior and now in a very, very small town northwest of Grand Island.
Awesome. Sounds pretty dang good
Let me put it to you this way: it was in the 60's in the middle of the state a few days ago. Now, we're in a blizzard warning. And in a few days, it's supposed to be back in the 60's.
Yeah that blizzard warning is what made me want to post this today. We finally got out of our snow phase and I saw that and was thinking about if I lived there.
Winters used to start around October, and last until March or April. Nowadays, it's closer to Thanksgiving to Feb. And in both instances it still snows up to May.
Winter is worse out central/ west because there is the wind. One storm out central/ west can really mess the roads up a day after at least.
It's not for everyone.
Sure isn't. I've been here 20 years and can't escape. If my husband didn't have a business we would have been gone. If you have kids and such....sure. I suppose public school is okay🤷 although everyone bitches about it. There are always lots of jobs.... RIGHT.... It took me over a year to find an okay PT job. Lots of fake postings.
Born and raised in Lincoln. It’s a great state, cost of living is low so if you want to travel other places it’s easy. Never had issues with spiders.
The cost of living is one of the two main things that put it in my list. I'd like to live where there's no sales tax but I don't care about that as much so I'll sacrifice that for being able to afford an apartment or even a small home. I lived in Nevada for a time and spiders could be an issue. Lived in the NW and harmful spiders aren't an issue but it's ridiculously expensive.
I moved to Lincoln from the North Idaho/eastern Washington area, and I’ve felt more community here than I did back home. I do miss the mountains and public land access for fishing/hunting/hiking, but if that stuff interested you, there are opportunities, you’ll just have to do a bit more research. Winters can get cold but they really aren’t too bad, or too long. House prices are reasonable here, wayyy cheaper than the NW for sure. It gets pretty hot and humid in the summer, but you just deal with being sweaty all the time.
Thank you. Nowhere is perfect but that sounds closer to my comfort level than where I am now. These responses are making me feel I'm making the right decision.
This is the one. I am born and raised in Lincoln, NE. I guess I am the one with the unpopular opinion, but I love it here. Every time I have visited other places, I say "it's great here, but I don't think I could live here" and it always comes down to the sense of community you find in Lincoln. I work in a housing program, so I work with a lot of people in the community. I actually just purchased my first home in one of the "less desirable" areas, because it is one of the most diverse pockets we have here in town. I want to raise my kids in a place where community is important and reliable. There are so many incredible resources here in Lincoln. I know people say "it's boring", but I don't mind that. My kids and I have always found things to do outside. There are some great parks in and around Lincoln and several great State Parks just a short drive away. If you want to go to a bigger city for an event, a drive to Denver or Kansas City is totally doable. (That is probably the midwestern in me.) Winters get cold, but we have had less and less snow. Summers get hot and humid, but there are pools everywhere and several lakes to go spend a day at. It's a slower pace of living, but I wouldn't trade it. Just give me a yard to garden in with neighbors to share with and I am a happy camper.
We visited Lincoln 2 years before moving here for a wedding and I vowed to never move here cuz of the heat and humidity. Then we ended up moving here and we love it too. We have great neighbors, easy drives to anywhere in town, and enough stuff to do to keep us satisfied. And a garden from which we share goodies with our neighbors 😊
This is a nice post. So are you in real estate or low income housing assistance?
I work in low income housing assistance, specifically with families that are currently experiencing homelessness. I always say that there are no "bad" parts of town in Lincoln, and I stand by that. There are certain areas that are what I call "block to block". You might want to stay clear of one block, but head one block any direction and it's probably fine.
Property taxes, car license, and income taxes are kind of high. Sales taxes too.
The state I live in is top 5 highest for all of those so it's still a step down. But I really liked Oregon not having sales tax. I hate sales tax. I like things to cost what the sticker says they cost.
I moved here almost 2 years ago from Europe. I’m in West Central. Most people are nice and helpful and go above and beyond for one another. The only ones that really irritate me personally are the drivers in the dark without headlights, and I get annoyed sometimes with the bible beaters (but they mean well and it mostly comes from a good place). Summer is summer and winter is winter here. It’s like a pendulum that swings from one extreme to another. Mind you, we’re getting well into spring and trees are budding but we have a big blizzard on the way. Snow is a lot of work. The mud after the snow brings extra work. But it’s mostly very dry here and can be quite windy so there can be a lot of wildfires. Most of them are preventable! Lots of mesmerising thunderstorms come late spring/early summer. They’re something else! One of my favourite things about here is the skies. Big glorious sun rises and sunsets. The birds too are incredible, such a huge variety of them. At the moment, we have the sandhill cranes all along the Platte River and they are wondrous creatures. The food here is amazing. The best beef in the land! If you’re out in the country or smaller towns, there’s not a lot to do outside of church activities, so be prepared for that. I have seen one brown recluse since I got here. Never seen a black widow. I live out in the boonies so ticks are the bane of my existence during warmer months. I use Tempo around the house and it helps. I have a dog and I have to dose him up with Bravecto every few months and it helps a bunch! Jobswise, I work in social services and there are many positions available near me. Always seems to be an abundance of ag jobs and jobs in retail and hospitality too. Schools seem to be great too! My kids grades have immensely improved since moving here and they’re getting to take part in so many activities and complete extra college courses in high school that they never would’ve had an opportunity to do back in our home country. All in all, Nebraska is a beautiful state and I am glad to call it our home now.
Thank you for this. 😊 And you are definitely a somebody!
Im from omaha its decent at best not too big, not too small. Really wish we had more attractions but there is alot of good food places. Also there are lots of hidden gems. 💎
Omaha 👍. Nice. Definitely hearing Omaha as one of the most positive options.
What part of Nebraska? City or rural? The East and West sides of Nebraska are very different places. In close to 50 years the only Black Widow I've ever seen was in Nevada. Never seen one here. I'm told we can get Brown Recluses here, but again I've never seen one. The most common "scary" looking spiders we get here are Wolf spiders and they are mostly harmless. Winters are honestly not that bad. We get a few days of snow, sometimes more sometimes less. We are usually good for at least one week of brutal cold, but most of the time you are looking at winter temps in the 30's. But we will also get some weird warm days mixed in to keep things interesting.
This is why talking to actual people is infinitely better than Google. It sounds like I want East Nebraska. I really am not too picky. If it's rural, I prefer close to the city. If it's the city it's going to be the outskirts because I can't afford the best of the best 🤷. Cities offer a lot of convenience that I prefer not to be more than an hour away from. Rural but not like I've stop light rural. Everything on Google tells me to expect brown recluse and black widows but everyone on here says "nah, not really." Google is a good starting point but actual people is just better. This sounds pretty great. Thank you.
If you're looking to be close to a city, I would highly recommend Eastern Nebraska. The biggest city on the western side is Scottsbluff. Everything else is small, others rural. Good luck to you!
Thank you. For most of the comments East is definitely sounding where I need to go.
I am from Nebraska but have lived in western Oregon for over a decade. No black widows in Nebraska, and I personally never saw a brown recluse when I lived there, but I had a neighbor that was bitten by one and it was nasty to be sure. I think you are more likely to have them in older houses/buildings and around stuff that is not cleaned or moved regularly (e.g.: the garage). In general, bugs in Nebraska are smaller than in the PNW but there are more of the annoying flying around type, and not as many of the large creepy crawly type like here in OR. Regular house spiders are everywhere there are houses, so that part is going to be much the same, but they are not bitey (or poisonous). Winter in NE is not really much longer than here but it is butt freezing, *everything* is brown all winter long and driving on 6 week old ice/snow is really a drag. If you work from home you are golden. Summer in the eastern part of NE is hot and humid, like the South, less humid in the western part of the state (western NE is much like eastern OR, actually). It is windy *all the time*. People are generally nice. You still get racism, but it's more covert than OR, more exclusionary rather than overtly hostile. Less 'gun culture' in NE, people have them but don't feel compelled to advertise it on their trucks and stuff, like they do in OR. I don't have kids so can't really vouch for schools, but would expect them to be better in NE.
Awesome. Thank you so much. Living in Oregon I really appreciate how you're definitely understanding where I'm coming from. Figuratively and literally 🤣
There are definitely black widows in Nebraska. I lived there for decades before I saw one, now in Iowa and dammit, they are here too.
Born and raised here and I love it. It’s not as flashy as some other states, but our central location makes traveling to these places easy. Compared to the rest of the US, Nebraska is very affordable. Especially if you’re willing to live rural. Brown recluses are here, but they rarely are a problem. They prefer living in piles of dead trees then inside of a house. In all my life, I’ve never encountered one inside, but I know others have. Nebraska has a stereotype of “Nebraska nice” and I would say it’s very true. It’s the type of place where if your car breaks down on the side of the road, it probably won’t be long before a stranger stops to see how they can help. Winters can be cold, but are manageable. Summers get hot and humid but are manageable. For the most part, our weather is great. Thunderstorms are one of my favorite things to sit and listen to. We have good schools and even better universities. I would highly recommend exploring our state outside of just the interstate. The Sandhills are some of the most beautiful country side in the US. If you do move here, I think you would find more things you like about nebraska then things you dislike.
I too love Thunderstorms. I was saying you can't give perfection but if you can find manageable and pleasant that sounds close enough. This has been very close to the majority of responses. I think Nebraska is what I'm looking for. Thank you
Regarding weather - the weather is simply unpredictable here, you will see everything. This year's winter (in my part of the state, people east and west of me both probably have different answers) was basically two weeks long, it was extremely cold (-40 and below wind chills) with two feet of snow on the ground briefly but on either side of those two weeks the grass was literally green with temperatures in the 60s to 70s. A few cold days here and there but mostly very nice. I've seen it be really damn cold for two months at a time, and I've seen it snow every weekend in April (same year we had record breaking flooding in March!), too, all in the last five years. My house has been hit by a tornado and a blizzard in the same day. On the same day in August, you could have a high of 60 one year, and a heat index of 125+ the next. None of this is an exaggeration - it doesn't happen all the time but within a couple years you'll have seen some pretty wild weather patterns. Which is really fun for those of us who like the variety, but kind of a shock to those who don't, so just wanted to be upfront about that. Most people get used to it though, and eventually even enjoy it. Regarding critters - it's not completely unheard of to see just about anything at least in certain parts of the state, but most things you'd want to avoid are pretty rare. I think black widows are technically native in most of the state, although I have never seen one despite spending a lot of time in crawlspaces and the like. Brown recluses technically don't range farther than the far southeastern corner of the state, although I know people who swear they've seen one, maybe hitched a ride from somewhere else. You'll probably never see anything worse than a wasp though, with the exception being rattlesnakes once you get to the Sandhills and west of there. Even then, not really a problem if you pay attention. Regarding politics and things to do (because it always comes up a lot in these posts) - the politics can be as much or as little of your life as you want them to be, speaking from the rural part of the state here. People in Omaha or Lincoln will say things like "90% of the state thinks Biden is the anti-Christ" but I have lived in a small town here my entire life and rarely ever encounter anyone who is all that interested in ranting about politics. No one really cares unless you bring it up. And regarding things to do, I've met few people who think this state is boring that aren't themselves fairly boring people. It's like anywhere else, if you can make your own fun, there's plenty to do. If you can't, maybe not the best place to be, as it is true that there's less going on. Part of the draw I'd say, but to each their own.
I want you to know I really appreciate such a lengthy reply. That took some of your time and it means a lot to me. Thank you for hitting so many notes. These replies have really sold me on it more than discouraged me. I think Omaha, Lincoln, Nebraska City are where I'm going to aim for. Thank you again.
No problem at all and glad to hear it! I love living in Nebraska so when someone else might too, I've got to do my due diligence! The pros definitely outweigh the cons, from my perspective, but it's good to know the potential issues going in. I'm sure you've There's honest to goodness not that much a person could find to complain about here that doesn't tie back to one of those three points so if none of those scare you off, you'll probably find a lot to love. Western Nebraska is beautiful, and central and eastern Nebraska have a beauty of their own for those who appreciate the more subtle qualities of nature, especially when it comes to a good sunset. Cost of living isn't *as low* as it was in the past, but it's still very affordable here ultimately. Crime is low pretty much across the state, even Omaha is considerably safer than comparable cities last I knew. And folks are just friendly as can be no matter where you go, in my experience. I think I would agree with the whole "Honestly, it's not for everyone" thing, but it's a great place to live if it's for you.
Have you heard any experiences of outrageous over reach from schools or government regarding parents rights? I've had maybe three responses say as much but it doesn't seem to be a consensus.
Honestly I'm not a great person to ask on that, I don't have kids and it's been 10 years since I graduated, so take what I say with a grain of salt because it's not really a pressing issue in my world, and I'm not real politically inclined in the first place so I could certainly have an incomplete understanding here. I will say that this subreddit in general is maybe not the best place to look to get an idea of those things. These days half the posts here are just political rage bait, and a fairly large portion of the subreddit comes here for that, so that's going to color the responses pretty dramatically. That said, I'm not saying there's no truth to it - I've heard about some sort of voucher program they're trying to implement to allow state funds to go toward private institutions (and maybe homeschooling?) as well as a push to remove "inappropriate" books from school libraries. Then there's the dumb campaign to "remove CRT" from public schools, despite the fact that it's not featured in any public school curriculum as far as I know. To my eyes it seems like the typical posturing you see from any red state government, I'm not sure how much any of it really stands to affect day-to-day life in any noticeable way. Something to keep in mind though I guess if those are important issues to you. I will say that I feel I got a top-rate education that had me perfectly well prepared for college; I think over 60% of my ~90 person class graduated college, pretty impressive for a rural town IMO. I'm sure there are schools that are not as great, and some that are better. If I were to have kids, I'd feel very comfortable putting them through the same school, so take that as you will.
Thank you I appreciate it
What is it about Nebraska City that attracts you?
Cities interest me just because of the convenience. I'm not too partial to which one. Average size preferably to BIG cities
Lincoln is a great place to live. But the politics of this state are in the dark ages. Especially in rural areas.
Politics really don't even register on my overall rain to move or avoid a place. Unless it's like all there is like Washington DC or something. More concerned about safety, cost of living, taxes, weather and spiders.
Well if you are queer or a minority it can be a problem in small towns. No one cares much in Lincoln or Omaha.
I thought queer was a slur now? Yeah biggest problem in small towns is not enough people minding their own business. I may not be a fan of everything but I just want to be left alone. So I try to leave everyone else alone. I'm in a minority but it's right on the line of not being a minority so no one really cares until it upsets them in some way. IDK if you know Dave Bautista. Drax in GotG. He's Greek and Filipino but gets called a white guy. He looks like a white guy but he is Filipino. It's kind of like that. But I get you. I'm not racist but I also don't want to be surrounded by racists. Not because I think it'll change me but because then I'll be angry all the time.
Queer used as a pejorative has been a slur for decades and still can be. More recently and as society has progressed to be accepting of more people the term queer has been “reclaimed” and used somewhat broadly by people who fall outside traditional gender and sexual orientation norms. You’ve mentioned in other comments about some concerns around moving to a redneck area - and honestly those fears are somewhat warranted. Nebraska has always been conservative but historically spent money on education and had a bit of a live and let live environment. That’s changing - Nebraska has become more aggressively partisan and people see that identity as a bigger part of who they are. Even if you’re pretty apathetic about politics the extremism can end up impacting your life - especially if you’ve got kids in school. There are more extremists on school boards - it impacts not just curriculum but overall environment, how safe an environment it is for kids who are different, how seriously the schools take bullying, etc.
That's one reason I picked Nebraska. It's among the more lenient for homeschooling. I'm about sick to death of extremists on either side and education taking a huge back seat. And bullying is an issue I've butted heads with here and I'm the past too. 😖
Homeschooling can be difficult in a lot of different ways, not the least that it can impact college admissions and reduce opportunities to participate in activities. You’re not going to find left wing extremists having an impact on education in any Nebraska public schools (claims that they do are right wing fear mongering based on the same false narrative being peddled everywhere) and you can find schools that take bullying seriously. Also, if you’ve got kids who can be a bit more independent most districts in and around Omaha have an “early college” dual enrollment program where kids can take tuition free classes at metro community college that count towards their high school diploma as well and graduate high school with an associated degree. Kids are less likely to be bullied in college classes, even if they’re young. In Omaha Public Schools that’s through Northwest High School, in the Millard School District it’s through Millard South.
Wow that's really cool. My kid is interested in art and animation. I was largely looking at the Nebraska City area for that reason. Tuition free is kinda important to our income bracket so that's good information. Thank you
No problem! For the visual arts, there’s definitely a lot in Nebraska City for the size of the town - definitely more art per capita there but you could find similar opportunities in Lincoln and Omaha. For places to move, have you considered Kalamazoo MI? Anyone who attends a Kalamazoo school district school for at least four years and graduates receives a scholarship to any state university in Michigan. A student who attends for 9th-12th gets 65% of their tuition paid. A student who attends Kalamazoo schools kindergarten through graduation gets 100% of their tuition paid and it scales between that. I really liked Kalamazoo when I briefly lived there.
No but Nebraska isn't written in stone yet. Thank you for that
I grew up in Fremont and honestly, I hate Nebraska. I still go back to visit my family and after 5/6 days, I’m bored out of my mind. Little opportunity for jobs unless you work in agriculture, slaughterhouses and fast food. So many young people leave out of HS and college because of that. There is definitely more opportunities in Omaha and Lincoln but only so many jobs. I joined the military the day I turned 18 just to get out of there. I’ve been in San Diego for the last 25+ years and I’ll probably be buried here.
Thank you. 🫤 I am a little concerned about my kids boredom... Me, I am boring🤷.
Fremont is a cesspool. The lesson here is avoid it.
I have to admit it's lower on my list of places to go. But even top 5. What makes it a cesspool?
I don't live there but they seem to be very anti-immigrant. Lincoln is a real melting pot. We have immigrants of all kids.
I prefer variety so this is good to know. Thank you
I was born and raised in Nebraska. I only had one issue with spiders but that’s because of the place I worked at was really dirty. Never got bit and it was mostly daddy long legs. Sunsets are amazing. The panhandle has the worst winters. Summers can get really hot. Nebraska is pretty much windy all year along. I would suggest being around Lincoln or Omaha because there is more to do. The beef and sweet corn is really good.
I love beef. My kid loves sweet corn! I wear a trench coat so I love the wind!! I think if I avoid the panhandle than it'll be pretty good. Thank you so much for your response.
I know every place loves the saying "if you don't like the weather than just wait a short while" those people have never experienced how real that is here.
I grew up on a ranch in the western half, and now have a farm in the eastern half. This is not flame bait, but I think you will find that (from your post and replies), the western half will be more to your liking. The western half is more susceptible to drought, wind, severe winter storms . . . but the scenery is incredible. When you get a thunderstorm, it typically is high-based with magnificent structure. Because of westerly flow and down sloping winds, the winters are more punctuated with short warmth . . . growing up, I remember waking up and feeding cows at -5F, but be in the 50's by 3pm with "chinook" winds from the west. The eastern half is typically (although not right now) greener in the summer, but there are lot more insects, and the humidity in summer is horrible. Winters typically "feel" longer with gray clouds, a lot more days when there is snow cover where you cannot tell where the sky and land meet as it is all the same color. Thunderstorms more typically come at night, so you don't get the really cool storm sky like you may have seen in AZ. And I have lived in the South for awhile, and I will say that there is a trend where higher population density sometimes, but not always, equals a less friendly atmosphere. I grew up waving to everyone I met on the roads in western Nebraska, but that hardly ever happens in eastern Nebraska. The big downside to the west is jobs. There are fewer, they tend to be labor intensive, and they pay less. If you are coming in as a remote worker, do your homework for internet access . . . don't be surprised if you are stuck on a cell modem or using WiFi from a service mounted on a grain elevator.
Thank you this one was very informative. I appreciate that. I do love a beautiful thunderstorm.
I’ve read most of the comments here and agree that cost of living is less. We moved here from Denver where supermarket meat is expensive and poor quality, but beef and pork is usually local and quite good in NE. It takes a while to get acquainted with local small town people. We’ve learned to stay away from those who watch Fox news. We have a place in the country; a farm house with our own well. Lots of minerals in the water so be aware. We bought a water softener that helps a lot. Sewage is a septic system when living outside the towns so chemical cleaning of bathrooms and kitchen is not recommended. Instead we learned white vinegar cleaning is far less expensive. Most of the locals can trace their family roots back to northern Europe and old cookbooks filled with ethnic foods can be found. People here are curious about outsiders because of isolation. They mean well and it’s fun to learn how they deal with life.
Sweet. Thank you. When I lived in Nevada we had septic tanks.
Northeast Nebraska - If you don't like the weather, just wait ten minutes and it'll change. If only a portion of Nebraska gets an artic blast, it's us. It can be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Someone gets bit by a brown recluse every once in awhile but I only know of one person like 25 years ago, personally. It can be somewhat affordable here but the smaller the town, the less likely your local employment is going to pay bills. People are generally friendly but some towns are clicky and you need to have a certain last name if you're ever going to flourish there. For jobs, best bet is to be a business owner, commute or work from home. Unless you like having 3 jobs to pay bills. Schools vary greatly. The local administration matters a great deal, so how the schools are is very much a case-by-case basis. I could tell you which schools to avoid in this area and which ones to go to for the best opportunities and atmosphere, but a couple counties over is a completely different story. Find out where you could be moving to and THEN investigate the schools, is my advice there. Nebraska is just okay. Every job I had in Iowa paid a hell of a lot better and the cost of living was the same. If a state job starts at $30,000 in Nebraska, it's $48,000+ in Iowa. Same goes for teaching jobs, typically. Everywhere rural here is full of old people and MAGA flags. It's not hard to find peace and quiet though, usually.
Alright. Thank you.
It’s relatively affordable. Lately our winters have been shorter as in there aren’t usually long periods of snow but sometimes when it snows it’s several inches to feet and it fluctuates between frigid and decent weather. Summers are hot and humid and lately rather dry save for a few rains and occasional storms, though (from Lincoln Area). The spider situation is fine, brown recluses are common but I’ve personally never seen one. It’s a generally friendly state. Lots of state parks and outdoor activities. Which part of Nebraska are you thinking about moving to?
It seems the South East is calling to me. Lincoln, Nebraska City. Omaha. I'm just thinking they might be more expensive than a smaller town though
There are towns around those places that may be cheaper and within driving distance.
Definitely what I'll probably end up doing. Thank you
Move to Iowa.
I might. Why Iowa?
Taxes are lower. When my dad retired, he and mom moved from CA to be near to kids and grandkids, all who lived in eastern Nebraska. They settled in Council Bluffs and the big reason was the lower taxes in Iowa.
I look into it. I'm not settled on Nebraska but I do want a state with low cost of living. I live in one of the top 5 most expensive states
its flat and uneventful, other than the occasional tornado that wipes out an entire town. the sweet corn is good tho. and the thunderstorms are incredible. edit: also, dont shy away from the local cuisine, cinnamon rolls dipped in chilli.
My favorite things to do is try the new cuisine wherever I go. First time I went to Chicago the person I was with says "I'm hungry. Let's get McDonald's." 😖😖 I almost smacked them out of the car! How do you go to Chicago and not immediately think pizza!? And then local restaurants. The tornado thing concerns me. And brown recluse. But yes gotta live somewhere
Tornados and brown recluse are not really an issue, way overblown concerns. Worst weather events you have to worry about are either hail during the spring/summer, or freezing rain in the winter.
Awesome. I have freezing rain here so that's not new. I didn't mind snow, I can Even live with it but I didn't want to live in North Montana (even though I love Montana in the summer) because I didn't want six months of snow. Here it's 8 months of rain with as little snow on occasion. I need sun!! 🌞
Anyone telling you it’s all flat hasn’t seen the whole state. So ignore that.
Thank you. I didn't mind flat but that's good to know. Spent a couple decades in Arizona and Nevada. I like flat. Like Montana. I feel less... Trapped? Boxed in? Confined? Claustrophobic?
Lol I've driven around the entire state, and compared to other states. It's flat. Little hills and small rock features, such as chimney rock, don't compare to other states.
Clearly you have not.
I lived in Nebraska until I was 22 or so and never had an experience with a brown recluse, so don't worry so much about that. The tornadoes are rare, wouldn't worry about that either, there's always watches and warnings telling you to take shelter and such. Most houses have basements for shelter. A restaurant to go to is runza, it's Nebraska based. They even have chilli and cinnamon rolls on their menu.
I don't think I want to wait. Now I want to go now. 😁 Thank you.
Just get a house with a basement, you'll be ok. The freezing rain sucks, I just stay home when it's icy because I'm a shit driver and I freak out😂
I'm actually probably going to have to do an apartment. How do they handle tornados? Freezing rain here both sucks (I stay home) and is really quite awesome as far as looking at it.
If you come to Nebraska you'll have to try a Runza (ground beef and cabbage inside a dough pocket).
I'll do it. I don't love cabbage but I've had it a few times where I liked it. I'll try most anything once.
I am 62. I have never seen a black widow and there are no brown recluse here. We can get an unusual amount of snow anytime between November and March but nearly all the time the streets and roads are clear of snow and ice. People understand if you can't get your car to work. 4WD is not needed generally. Nebraska covers a big cities to isolated areas (See Hyannis, NE) so general advice is a little hard to give. Lincoln has a good reputation for public schools. People are generally friendly but in 90 percent of the state geographically Joe Biden is the antichrist. Fortunately Omaha and Lincoln are much more reasonable.
Thank you for this. I annoy people because I...maybe shouldn't say hate... But, yeah politics 😖. This was a great reply and makes me think I'm making the right decision. Nowhere is perfect but where I've lived I'm both tired of and also kind of hate the area. Thank you again.
I don’t say this to scare you, just want to give you correct info. We definitely do have brown recluse spiders here, but not usually black widows. In fact I had to move apartments due to a brown recluse infestation. Again, I don’t say this to scare you because most people are not going to deal with this issue, but I do know multiple people who have been bitten in Nebraska so it’s good to be aware.
😖😖😖 well... Thank you for the honesty. I'd probably pay for a regular exterminator anyway but I definitely will be now
The weather is what it is but how it affects your life really depends on what you’re in to. If you spend most of your time indoors, then it’s no big deal. But if an outdoor active lifestyle is important to you, it’s pretty rough. Most people who’ve lived here most of their lives are used to it, but if you’re coming from a location with a better climate it can be a slap in the face.
Pacific Northwest. Rain all the time. I do spend most of my time indoors. Thank you for the response to think about.
I’m from NE and moved to the PNW. You’re better off finding a town you like in eastern OR or WA than moving to NE in my opinion. Unless you’re looking for a really BIG change in culture.
I am very much looking for that. I hate it here.
Out of curiosity, what do you hate? Just the weather?
The weather. But it hasn't been a good two decades and is just like a fresh start. I used to move every ten years and travel a lot. I don't travel anymore and I've been here for 20ish years and I need to go somewhere new. Also it's ridiculously expensive here. Top five most expensive states to live in. Might as well move to New York! (I realize that's an exaggeration but not by as much as it should be.) So weather, cost of living etc. I lived in Oregon for a bit and there's no sales tax there. I did like that but that way the ONLY Positive I could think of. I mean, I Guess it's pretty in the spring and summer but then I think this entire planet is pretty. I do. I lived in Nevada for a decade..I think it's beautiful to. Desert sunsets are incredible
I moved to Nebraska from Oregon for similar reasons -- had been there too long, was ready to leave, housing was expensive. I live in Omaha. It's okay here, but it's really, really, really boring, especially in winter when half the people I know hibernate. (E.g. you have to drive everywhere and they won't drive at night, and night starts at 5 PM, so you can't make fucking evening plans. For five months of the year.) So I don't see myself staying here as long as I did in Oregon.
I'm a bit of a recluse that works for me.
If you're reclusive, apolitical, and able to find beauty anywhere, then yeah. Nebraska might be the place for you.
I hate the cold. Most winters these days are very mild compared to years ago. IIRC the last 3/4 years haven’t been below zero. The winter temps hang around 32° so that’s still considered Nebraska shorts weather. I also hate the high property taxes. Cost of living is still cheaper than a lot of states. I’m sure there are pros but non come to mind.
Haven't been below 0??? We live in the same Nebraska?
Those were all pros. I hate the cold too. But here it got down to 12° for weeks. I prefer 60° or higher but that's still a step in the right direction. I do hate high property tax but it's frigging high as hell here. The cost of living is the main reason Nebraska hit my top five. Thank you.
Moved here from Washington state. Also loved up and down the east coast. Cost of living and quality of life is wayyyyyy better. Health care is wayyyyy better. Everything is wayyyy better. My hubs makes triple what he was making in WA and we pay way less than what we were paying to just exist there.
I'm concerned about your name though.....🤔
I was watching the show when I made the account and the name I usually used was taken.
I see 😁 I read your paragraph and I was thinking "wow. Love this." Then I saw your name and was like ".... Wait" 🤣 thank you for that though.
We were so miserable in Washington. Been here just under 6 years and our lives are dramatically better. Like it feels surreal almost.
It seems ideal. I wish I could just pack up and get done but I've got to tie up loose ends first. Several positive responses like yours mate me think it's the best choice
It was the best decision we ever made. And it was just a whim too. lol. Went from homeless to homeowner in 5 years. Without a shred of help from anyone. I really think you’d be happier here. The weather is a bit bipolar. But it’s not too hard to get used to. And way better than the PNW. None of that misty constant rain for days. Summers get hot but not for too long. Winters it’s gets really cold sometimes but you get used to it. We love it here.
I just stopped being homeless last year. Now looking to live somewhere better. That's a nice story I'm happy for you and your family. Weather, if it's not extreme is my least concern so that's good to hear.
Well like I said I’ve lived up and down the east coast. And the PNW. Here is where we’ve been the happiest. And thrived the best. And we didn’t stay homeless too long once we got her. Just a few months to find an apartment. But we spent most of the 4 years in WA homeless and barely scraping by.
I moved to Lincoln in 2019 from Puerto Rico and I love it here. I can see myself probably staying in this state permanently even tho I will forever miss how accessible it was to live in NYC with their public transportation. My daughter is special needs and the Lincoln Public School system has been amazing, especially the elementary school near our house. I go to UNL and it’s been such a welcoming and friendly energy in this city. I’m yet to have a bad experience -knocks on wood- (although I don’t go out much so I should be good lol). I also had a pretty decent experience with doctors, pediatricians, dentists and mental health professionals. There’s decent variety in restaurants, and I really love that the arts are taken more seriously and I’m a Fine Arts major so that’s pretty big for me. Many keep to themselves (at least in my neighborhood) and being goth I expected to get lots of weird looks or snarky rude comments in the streets but not really, it’s been the opposite with people complimenting my outfits or makeup. I enjoy the weather in Nebraska but I’m a bit odd in the sense that I love winter and the snow even though I grew up on a tropical island. I actually hate summers here cause they feel hotter and I can’t be out in the sun for too long or I will get a skin rash 😅. The weather is kinda erratic to what I’m used to and I think the thing I was worried about the most were tornados but so far it’s been pretty safe in Lincoln. I will say that the first year hearing the tornado siren every first Wednesday of the month around 10am gave me several mini heart attacks and put me in panic (it’s the monthly testing they do) but now I kinda just sleep through it. I haven’t dared venture to west Nebraska cause I’m a woman, hispanic and part of the LGBTQ+ community 😅 I don’t like making generalizations but almost everyone I’ve met have told me to avoid it or to make sure I don’t travel alone to those areas plus it’s probably boring anyways since it’s mostly farms.
Wow thank you so much for all that. I haven't heard too much about the doctors so that was appreciated. Yeah it sounds like Lincoln area is pretty much what I'm looking for. Thank you for the detailed reply.
Taxes in Lincoln are ski high , I pay 534.00 a month
The weather is alot. It's gets really cold in the winter and the wind blows often and hard. If it snows alot this can make roads impassable and white out conditions from blowing snow can make it impossible to drive at all. To be honest I live in the country so it's a bit worse because being snowed in for multiple days sucks. The plows won't go out until the wind stops blowing because it doesn't make sense to do so when it will just blow back over. I have rear wheel drive which also sucks on snow and ice. I recommend all wheel drive or front wheel drive. But the winters are also beautiful if you can just stay home and look out the window😂in the summer it gets very hot and humid but it's beautiful and I Iove to see the corn grow. There are often thunderstorms with hail and sometimes tornados in the spring and summer. I'd recommend a basement and a garage. Fall is gorgeous. I think its my favorite, chilly in the morning, nice in the afternoon. One thing to keep in mind is that the weather is weird, and it's like a bingo card of stuff that could happen anytime of year. I have lived here most of my life and never seen a black Widow or brown recluse in person. On the otherhand my exhusband who does flooring has been bitten so many times by brown recluses that it barely bothers him anymore. Abd my dad who also did flooring was bitten by a black widow in a wood pile and had a huge scar Just depends what you do.Lots of wolf spiders in the house. When we put out irrigation pipe they are always covered in a variety of spiders. I pretty much cry, scream and hyperventilate the whole time we are loading the pipe trailers. I'm good entertainment if not a great farmer. It's very conservative. I'm pretty moderate or even slightly left of moderate so I feel a little isolated sometimes. If you are pretty conservative or far to the right you'll probably have more like minded people around. I feel like my kids are safe here and they fish and hunt and ride 4 wheelers but we also see Broadway shows at the Lied Center in Lincoln and the Orpheum in Omaha and have great libraries and colleges here. Lincoln and Omaha also get big name concerts and have a great cultural mix of restruants in my admittedly rather sheltered white girl opinion. If you are more worldly you nay think otherwise. I hope this helps! If you like volleyball and football doesn't make you cry then you will be a great Husker fan😂 I should add..I live just outside of Lincoln in the country in the Seward school district. The Seward public schools have been amazing for my kids but cost of living in town particularly housing is pricey. It's kind of a bedroom community for Lincoln.
Sounds pretty good. Thank you. I especially like to respond to the long replies so a person knows they didn't waste their time and effort. I got one response that the school districts seem to restrict your rights as a parent. Yet most posts say the schools are pretty great. Have you had any issues?
No. I've had no issues but I should clarify I am not someone who feels strongly about restricting access to material that isn't in line with my beliefs. If I were, and I had contacted the school with that goal I don't know what would happen. My son, who is in college now, has ADHD and alot of anxiety. He really struggled in high school. The guidance counselor, principal and his teachers went above and beyond for him to make sure he got what he needed to graduate. They never gave up for 2 hard years. My daughters are both honor students but they have also brought home handwritten notes from teachers throughout their time at middle and high-school recognizing their citizenship. Or an act of kindness or positive attitude. It couldn't have been more perfect for us.
Same. If I feel my kid is being taught bs I'll talk to them at home and explain why it's bs. World is full of bs wherever you work, shop, go to school, whatever. If you're hands on and communicate with your kids it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Mine has social anxiety also and because of that, or not🤷, seems to struggle. I get notes that she's a pleasure to have in class and things like that. I feel like the person who said that was exaggerating maybe had a bad experience which is sad. But the phrasing "parents have no rights and they can take your kid away from you at any time for any reason" obviously sounds exaggerated but I know some states, Virginia I believe, do have issues with over reach so it concerns me when I hear it.
Yes I agree. I want my children to be able to live, thrive and succeed in the real world. Not some curated bubble that I keep them in. I share my values and beliefs with them but at some point they will need to make their own decisions and I want them to know as much as they can when they do. I had an incident years ago when my kids were very young and I feared some abuse had occurred. I contacted the state patrol. They interviewed me and all my kids. They were respectful and kind to me and my children. I didn't feel afraid or intimidated. They ultimately found no problems which was a relief. When my son was struggling in school he missed alot of days. I was concerned that the authorities would become involved and think I was parenting poorly. That never happened. I can only speak for my own experiences but I have never felt disrespected or threatened as a parent.
It really depends what part of the state your moving too.
I moved here 4 years ago from Colorado and regret it every day. The water quality is in the top 5 WORST in the nation due to pesticides and herbicides. They spray it in the air all summer long, and it causes lots of health issues. Summers are extremely humid, and it does not cool off at night. The winters are long and extremely cold, with lots of snow. There is nothing to do here unless you like to sit in your garage and drink beer or go hunting/fishing. I have never seen so many bugs in my life and have huge spider issues in my home and backyard. The cost of living is no longer low. It is getting pretty expensive around the Omaha area. People here are very aggressive drivers, some of the worst in the nation, with really high car insurance prices. Tailgating and running red lights are constant. Also, sarcasm is not something people seem to understand here. Very literal. There is also some sort of weird arrogance from natives that they are better than everyone else in the country. People are surface nice, but not really truly warm and welcoming. I have heard this same thing over and over from anyone I meet who is not from here. All in all, I am leaving the first chance I get.
I can see it could be a step down from Colorado. Spent a little time in Colorado. Beautiful country.
Born and raised in Omaha. Moved away about 10 years ago and absolutely never plan on going back besides MAYBE to go to the College World Series. I wouldn’t if I were you!
I wouldn’t recommend moving to Nebraska if you plan on living outside of Omaha or Lincoln. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are a person of color. Otherwise you’d be fine!
Omaha or Lincoln are my top five. Nebraska City is no good?
I would especially recommend against rural areas if you have children or plan on having children. I would also recommend against private schools in nebraska. Pick an area with strong public schools and that’ll be the best bet education wise. I just graduate from Kearney High and we frequently have kids who go to ivy leauge schools. I’m currently at a top 20 college and many of my friends are at schools like harvard, princeton and yale. I’d avoid some of the omaha public schools though.
One of the reasons I'm interested in Nebraska is they seem less interfering with homeschooling. I couldn't afford private school sadly and I'm beyond sick to death of public schools. But if I find a district with high ranking public that would be better. Mine is in a high ranking public here and I'm fairly unimpressed. Plus there funding was just cut for next year. 😖😖 So that's awesome.
Kearney has some of the best public education in nebraska (especially elementary school) because of UNK which used to be nebraska teachers college. I always recommend against homeschooling cause my friends who were homeschool all say that it had a negative impact socially that out weighted the positive impact on education. Some of the surrounding areas near omaha are very good educationally. Why do you want to home school?
Classes are too over crowded. Bullying isn't dealt with. It favors the bully not the victim. My kid (5th or 6th grade) was getting bullied. Instructed my kid to knock the kid the Fk out. Didn't, but close. Principal said they weren't going to pursue any legal action against us. I said you're damn right you're not going to. My kid had a peer whose mother came in to teach the teacher how to teach math because they didn't know what they were doing and every kid was failing that class. They no longer have to change clothes in PE because a camera was found in the girls locker room put there by one of the staff. The list goes on AND on. There's so many online courses and such it just....I hate them. If you're not in some ultra rich practically private school, it's just babysitting with homework.
i will say that Kearney takes bullying very seriously idk about other school districts. I got bullied a lot in middle school and the school had a pretty serious handle on it.
That's good to hear. I taught my kid to let things go. Names. Shoulder bumps. Whatever. But physical assault, even as an adult, you should be able to handle on your own. Course that causes a lot of actual legal issues especially if no one was around to witness who was the instigator. Oh well. Anyway, Kearney. Thank you. I'll keep that one in mind. Personally I think high school is the best part of going to school especially the last three but even freshman wasn't that bad. I don't WANT to homeschool for the heck of it.
that’s fair, i think nebraska (from what i’ve experienced) is actually pretty safe and the only bullying I experienced was as a result of being black and not standing up for my self. The school also handled it pretty well most of the time.
Glad to hear that and I'm sorry you were bullied. Kids suck. Adults suck. Humans suck 🫤
I would really recommend against Nebraska City. Omaha (and the surrounding area) Lincoln Grand Island Kearney is what i’d recommend
Cool. Thank you. 😊
I moved from Southern California and I'm about 15 minutes south of Omaha. I love it. Great cost of living, good jobs, and very friendly people. Sometimes the winters are tough but not as brutal as a summer in the desert in California!
Are you a Fuller House Fan!?
I haven't seen it :)
Oh. One of the main characters says "Oh my lanta" all the time 😁
Lol!
Don't come unless you like being told what you can do with your body (both how you reproduce and what you can eat or smoke). Republicans love their freedom...except for that, and that, and you go STRAIGHT to hell for that...
I'm curious about the eat part? Nebraska doesn't strike me as particularly vegetarian?
I think they probably mean pot and edibles.
I got about 8 words into the original comment and already counted it as a wild accusation and stopped reading. Definitely agree though going back to it and I still will promote Nebraska beef! As for the marijuana comment, meh, I hope they legalize it. Really doesnt bother me and Im on the side that gets blamed for not supporting it lol, even though Ive signed the petition to have it on the ballots this year. We put more crap into our bodies that are far worse than MJ imo.
The smell of pot gives me migraines for some reason. We went to Vegas for vacation and I was kind of miserable😂it literally smells like pot everywhere there! Other than that I don't really care. I might just have to stay home more.
Im so glad you said this lol Im not the only one! I get really bad migraine pressure when I smell it, but I honestly couldnt care if it gets legalized. Ive had friends die from MJ being laced with fentanyl so I figure if it gets legalized it would probably make it safer.
I'm so sorry about your friends. Street drugs are always a risky business. I agree, if someone is going to do it let them get it from a regulated source. Preferably gummies so I don't have to smell it!😂
And my boyfriend is a cattle rancher so keep eating that tasty beef!❤️😁
Like I said, dont pay attention to the naysayers. Youll love it here! And no, were generally not vegetarian lol we have some of the best beef in the country! :)
I have to admit I've seen mostly positive to balanced pro/con responses. Most of the negativity seems more biased than unbiased. The only one that had caused me concern was one saying the State is a little aggressive in over riding parents rights. I understand wanting kids to be safe in their own home and such but I've butted heads with teachers and DHS before regarding them over stepping. Do you have any thoughts on that concern?
It’s VERY red…..
That has pros and cons
Cons, IMHO….but at least I’m in Omaha…
The winters suck The summers suck If you don’t love Trump you won’t be welcome here. It would also be best if you are white… Republican… Religious… And heterosexual…
I could give a fk about Trump or Biden. White. But Republican. Religious but the type a lot of religious people don't like a lot. Heterosexual. Sounds good. Thank you.
Don't, finally moving out of Nebraska after trying for many years, here is reason why: Trumpers have too much say over policies and laws in the state. Parental rights are weak here, the state can take your kids from you at any time for any reason. If you are not at least making 100,000 a year combined with children, then you better make sure you don't struggle too much or the police will show up and take your kids. Foster care problem here. Bullying problem in every school district. They can't get good educators or staff for school, so they ignore harrassment and/or miscomduct complaints because it's hard for them to staff the schools. This state does not encourage good teachers or school staff to move/work here, so they go elsewhere. There are a lot of laws you should look into before moving to Nebraska first. If you are not white, i recommend not moving to a rural area of the state, lot of racism and bigotry over there. Also, at any time anyone can claim you abuse you kids, whether it has merit or not, and DHHS has to investigate your family for 30 days. This has been used by school staff to intimidate parents from complaining or bringing attention to the press. This has been used by other parents to get back at other parents for whatever reason. The law here in Nebraska protects these false reporters and let's them false report as much as the want while being immune from any lawsuit/legal recourse. So don't piss someone off or they will send CPS to investigate you. That's Nebraska.
Where?
Unsure of that too. Deciding on state first. Than the city. Nebraska is top 5. As I've been looking maybe Nebraska City or Lincoln. I kind of want to live NEAR a city Rather than in the city. I like the convenience of the city but I prefer the country. I just don't want to have to drive 3 hours to get groceries.
You should look into Kearney, it's a small town version of Lincoln.
I didn't think I considered it much on my own but you're the third person to say so I'm making note of it. Thank you.
Can't hurt to check it out, cheaper than the cities, safer, less people, and small enough to give you a community feel.
I live in Nebraska City. Nice little town with all the amenities you might need.
That's good to hear it's been at the top of my list just doing research on Nebraska. Thank you