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Hastings, NE

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Quality of Life

Overall Quality Of Life
A+
Elite

An exceptional place to live — walkable, affordable relative to incomes, with a thriving local economy and abundant recreation.

Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.

The Hood Index™

A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.

A+
Hood Index scan area
Luxury Lean97%
RisksNeutralGrowth
Premium
12
Positive
37
Poor
0
Negative
1

Groceries

1 within 10 miles

2.6mi

Gas

8 within 10 miles

0.5mi

Hospital

2 within 20 miles

0.4mi

Airport

MCI — Kansas City International

214.1mi

Post Office

USPS — Hastings, NE

0.2mi

Critical Amenities

Golf1Nearest 3.7 mi
Camping1Nearest 21.8 mi
Marina0 
Winery0 
Ice Rink0 
Gun Range0 

Affluence Level

Overall Affluence Grade
C
Average

A middle-class area roughly in line with national averages across income, home values, education, and employment.

Est. Avg Net Worth
$340k
48% below US avg
Avg HH Debt
$17k
8% below US avg

Crime

Overall Crime Grade
A-
Very Safe

Lower crime rates than 78% of comparable U.S. locations.

Crime Rate
16.9
Incidents per 1,000 residents
5yr Trend
−34.3%
Overall crime change since 2020

Violent Crime

5yr−29.4%
Homicide
0.00 / 1k Residents100% below state avg
Robbery
0.04 / 1k Residents79% below state avg
Aggravated Assault
1.55 / 1k Residents2% above state avg

Property Crime

5yr−39.1%
Burglary
0.80 / 1k Residents32% below state avg
Larceny-Theft
12.12 / 1k Residents14% above state avg
Motor Vehicle Theft
1.47 / 1k Residents20% below state avg
Source: FBI Crime Data · 2025

Political Climate

Cook PVI: R+27Solidly Conservative

District shown is the primary district for this city’s centroid. Cities may span multiple districts.

Presidential Voting Trends for Hastings, Nebraska
Dem Rep
20%30%40%50%60%70%80%2000200420082012201620202024

Personal Sovereignty

Personal Sovereignty measures your capacity for self-reliance and independence with minimal government friction. Higher scores mean fewer barriers between you and the way you want to live... but it assumes you have the space you need and good neighbors.

Overall Sovereignty Grade
B-
Self-Reliant

Viable for self-reliance. Generally workable, though some barriers may limit total independence.

State Policy

Tax Burden
D
Poor11.5% of income
Property Rights
C
FairIJ Grade C
Firearm Rights
C+
FairFPC Grade C+
Homeschooling
C+
WeakModerate regulation

Energy independence: Importer (35% of energy produced in-state)

Personal Liberty

Raw Milk
A-
OpenFarm sales legal
Gambling Laws
B
Broadly OpenCasinos · Poker · Sportsbetting
Marijuana Laws
C+
LimitedMedical only

Homesteading

Growing Season184 days237 frost-free
Annual Rainfall26.3"
Elevation1,929 ft

Strategic Assessment

Strategic Assessment grades tactical survivability using Joel Skousen's Strategic Relocation framework. Major population centers, blast zones, natural disasters, and border exposure all drive risk — lower exposure means a more defensible position in a crisis.

Learn more about Strategic Relocation ($)
Overall Strategic Grade
A
Resilient

Strong survivability profile. Good buffer from population centers, with manageable environmental and tactical risks.

Strategic Pillars

City Proximity
A+
Great1274 mi to nearest major city
Fallout Danger
A
Great2 within ~30 mi
Natural Disaster
D+
WeakHail, Tornado, Inland Flooding, Strong Wind, Drought
Border / Coast
A+
Greatborder 581 mi · coast 771 mi
FEMA Expected Loss$29.7M/yrfor the county

* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area.

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