Kearney and Columbus receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Kearney
Columbus
Opportunity
64 · Top 34%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs29 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs97 · Top 16%
Schools
86 · Top 7%
vs78 · Top 17%
Access
40 · Bottom 2%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Kearney | Columbus | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,246 | 24,488 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,724 | $64,626 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,716 | $34,527 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,277/sq mi | 2,305/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $244,600 | $213,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $949 | $892 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.6% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.5% | 21.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 11.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 107 | 161 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.9% | -51.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 25.6" | 28.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 89 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.5 min | 16.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.8 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.18 | 14.73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 57.5% | 50.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 56.3% | 54.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.1% | 29.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Kearney
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind, tornado.
Columbus
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Kearney, NE · Columbus, NE · How this is calculated: methodology