Moving to Columbus, Nebraska

About Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus

Columbus is the county seat of Platte County, Nebraska, situated at the confluence of the Loup and Platte rivers roughly 85 miles (137 km) west-northwest of Omaha and 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Lincoln by road, near the county's southern edge. With an estimated population of 24,464 as of 2024, it is the 10th-most populous city in Nebraska.

Initially settled in May 1856 along the historic Great Platte River Road, the city was named for Columbus, Ohio; its location along the proposed transcontinental railroad made it especially attractive to early settlers. Despite the construction of a hydroelectric plant, the Great Depression hit the region especially hard. Since, its economy has pivoted to one based on agriculture, manufacturing, and services such as healthcare.

Today, Columbus is governed by a mayor and a city council. The city is located in the Omaha media market, and has 6 radio stations licensed to it; it is also home to the Columbus Telegram, a newspaper published five days per week. A campus of Central Community College is located 4 miles (6 km) outside Columbus; its sports teams are the Raiders.

Gender
Gender Columbus Nebraska Country
Female 49.8% 50.1% 50.8%
Male 50.2% 49.9% 49.2%
Gender

Household Income


Income Columbus Nebraska Country
Less than $10,000 2.3% 5% 5.8%
$10,000 to $14,999 5.3% 3.8% 4.1%
$15,000 to $24,999 7.6% 8.2% 8.5%
$25,000 to $34,999 12.3% 9.2% 8.6%
$35,000 to $49,999 16.4% 13.3% 12.0%
$50,000 to $74,999 19.2% 19.3% 17.2%
$75,000 to $99,999 17.7% 14.1% 12.8%
$100,000 to $149,999 12.5% 15.9% 15.6%
$150,000 to $199,999 3% 6.1% 7.1%
$200,000 or more 3.7% 5.1% 8.3%
Education


Education Columbus Nebraska Country
< 9th Grade 5% 3% 5.0%
9-12th Grade 5% 5% 7.0%
High School or GED 29% 26% 27.0%
Other College 25% 23% 20.0%
Associate's Degree 13% 11% 9%
Bachelor's Degree 15% 21% 20.0%
Master's Degree 7% 8% 9.0%
Professional Degree 1% 2% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 0% 1% 1.0%
Household Income
Education
Race / Ethnicity


Ethnicity Columbus Nebraska Country
White 73.9% 78.3% 60.1%
African American 0.5% 4.7% 12.2%
American Indian 0.3% 0.7% 0.6%
Asian 0.7% 2.5% 5.6%
Hawaiian 0% 0.1% 0.2%
Other 0% 0.1% 0.3%
Multiracial 1.4% 2.5% 2.8%
Hispanic 23.2% 11.2% 18.2%
Race / Ethnicity