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Top 50 rank: 8
Population: 19,837
Papillion is a regular on our list because of its top-notch schools, safe streets, and 15-minute, traffic-jam-free commute to Omaha, home of major employers in industries like financial services and health care.
There are also plenty of jobs around town. Black Hills Energy and Nebraska's largest credit union recently moved their headquarters to Papillion. The town scores additional points for having the most affordable homes in the top 10, a wealth of green spaces, including 13 parks and a 17-mile trail system, and a new AAA baseball stadium. (Go, Storm Chasers!)
Shoppers and foodies, take note: Downtown has few stores, and the fine-dining options are practically nil. --Vanessa Richardson
Papillion, NE
Town stats
| Median family income (per year) | $87,858 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 7.94% |
| Median home price (2012) | $141,000 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below average) | -0.2% |
| Math test scores (% above/below average) | -5.6% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 17 |
Financials | |
| Median family income (per year) | $87,858 |
| Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted) | $98,045 |
| Sales tax | 7.00% |
| State income tax rate (highest bracket) | 6.84%I |
| State income tax rate (lowest bracket) | 2.46%I |
| Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state) | $1,409 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 7.94% |
Financials
Housing |
| Median home price (2012) | $141,000 |
| Average property taxes(2010) | $3,297 |
Housing
Education |
| Colleges, universities and professional schools (within 30 miles) | 14 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below state average) | -0.2% |
| Test scores math (% above/below average) | -5.6% |
| % students attending public/private schools (located within town limits) | 91.7/8.3 |
Education
Quality of life |
| Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good) | 86.8% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 17 |
| Median commute time (in minutes) | 19.8 |
| % population with commute 45 mins. or longer | 4.9% |
| % population walk or bike to work | 1.9% |
Quality of life
Leisure and culture |
| Movie theaters (within 15 miles) | 16 |
| Restaurants (within 15 miles) | 1,586 |
| Bars (within 15 miles) | 377 |
| Public golf courses (within 30 miles) | 68 |
| Libraries (within 15 miles) | 31 |
| Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) | 1 |
| Ski resorts (within 100 miles) | N.A. |
| Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) | 0.9 |
Leisure and culture
Weather |
| Annual rainfall (inches) | 30.22 |
| % clear days in the area | 59% |
| High temp in July ° F | 87.4° |
| Low temp in Jan ° F | 11.6° |
Weather
Meet the neighbors |
| Median age | 35.9 |
| Completed at least some college (% of residents) | 70.7% |
| Married % | 58.1% |
| Divorced % | 8.2% |
| Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity) | 41.1 |
Meet the neighbors
