Market rankings · Nebraska
Child care centers and preschools in Nebraska
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Nebraska, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 594
- 77 chain locations (13%)
- Official establishments
- 739
- +5.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $335.9M
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.4
- 28% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $566K
- 44% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #50 of 51
- Market score 20 · Low
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Nebraska by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Nebraska has 594 child care centers and preschools on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 13% of them, against 12% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 7.4, 28% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Household spending on child care and other personal services in Nebraska comes to about $335.9M a year: $421 per household, 27% below the U.S. average. That works out to $566K per center, 44% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Nebraska was 739 in 2023, up 5.1% from 2019. That is one for every 1,080 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 33 SBA-backed loans worth $18.7M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Nebraska.
Among the 50 states and DC, Nebraska ranks #50 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 20 (low). Of the 4 scored metro areas in or partly in Nebraska, the Grand Island metro area scores highest (33). Of the 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in Nebraska, the Beatrice area scores highest (47).
Every market in Nebraska for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Nebraska, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Grand Island, NE | 33 | 15 | 5.0 | $739K | +1.5% | #310 of 387 |
| 2Lincoln, NE | 30 | 78 | 5.5 | $735K | +3.3% | #328 of 387 |
| 3Omaha, NE-IA | 29 | 311 | 8.0 | $595K | +4.2% | #339 of 387 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 27 | 44 | 7.9 | $496K | +1.0% | #349 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Beatrice, NE | 47 | 5 | 5.4 | $654K | +0.2% | #257 of 454 |
| 2Lexington, NE | 47 | 6 | 6.0 | $616K | +1.1% | #259 of 454 |
| 3Hastings, NE | 42 | 7 | 4.1 | $909K | −0.2% | #299 of 454 |
| 4Kearney, NE | 41 | 14 | 6.1 | $645K | +1.9% | #309 of 454 |
| 5Columbus, NE | 41 | 14 | 8.1 | $456K | +3.8% | #312 of 454 |
| 6North Platte, NE | 34 | 8 | 5.3 | $643K | −3.6% | #356 of 454 |
| 7Fremont, NE | 31 | 15 | 9.9 | $364K | +2.6% | #378 of 454 |
| 8Norfolk, NE | 27 | 15 | 7.6 | $483K | +1.1% | #399 of 454 |
| 9Scottsbluff, NE | 20 | 12 | 7.8 | $421K | −1.2% | #422 of 454 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Cass County, NE | 51 | 7 | 6.5 | $755K | +3.9% | #803 of 1,611 |
| 2Hall County, NE | 46 | 14 | 5.7 | $644K | +1.4% | #942 of 1,611 |
| 3Lancaster County, NE | 41 | 74 | 5.5 | $737K | +3.4% | #1,066 of 1,611 |
| 4Gage County, NE | 41 | 5 | 5.4 | $654K | +0.2% | #1,073 of 1,611 |
| 5Sarpy County, NE | 41 | 69 | 9.3 | $583K | +9.0% | #1,083 of 1,611 |
| 6Saunders County, NE | 40 | 7 | 7.9 | $599K | +6.0% | #1,116 of 1,611 |
| 7Washington County, NE | 37 | 10 | 11.9 | $425K | +1.8% | #1,174 of 1,611 |
| 8Platte County, NE | 36 | 10 | 7.3 | $495K | +3.9% | #1,199 of 1,611 |
| 9Buffalo County, NE | 35 | 10 | 5.0 | $788K | +1.9% | #1,207 of 1,611 |
| 10Douglas County, NE | 35 | 195 | 8.2 | $573K | +3.6% | #1,224 of 1,611 |
| 11Adams County, NE | 32 | 6 | 4.6 | $823K | −0.3% | #1,289 of 1,611 |
| 12Lincoln County, NE | 28 | 8 | 5.4 | $630K | −3.6% | #1,374 of 1,611 |
| 13Dodge County, NE | 25 | 15 | 9.9 | $364K | +2.6% | #1,423 of 1,611 |
| 14York County, NE | 21 | 7 | 12.3 | $312K | +3.3% | #1,474 of 1,611 |
| 15Dakota County, NE | 20 | 9 | 12.1 | $289K | +0.7% | #1,495 of 1,611 |
| 16Saline County, NE | 19 | 5 | 9.7 | $386K | +1.9% | #1,505 of 1,611 |
| 17Madison County, NE | 18 | 13 | 9.0 | $407K | +1.6% | #1,516 of 1,611 |
| 18Scotts Bluff County, NE | 17 | 12 | 8.0 | $410K | −1.3% | #1,530 of 1,611 |
| Dawson County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 4.4 | $842K | +1.5% | |
| Seward County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 5.9 | $705K | +2.3% | |
| Otoe County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 6.3 | $657K | +3.9% | |
| Box Butte County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 6.7 | $476K | −3.0% | |
| Colfax County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 10.8 | $359K | +3.6% | |
| Red Willow County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 8.9 | $394K | −3.5% | |
| Custer County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 8.9 | $381K | 0.0% |
Show all 93 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holt County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $702K | −0.3% | |
| Wayne County, NE | Not scored | 5 | 13.3 | $270K | +3.3% | |
| Cheyenne County, NE | Not scored | 5 | 11.2 | $270K | +0.4% | |
| Hamilton County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 8.3 | $481K | +2.9% | |
| Phelps County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 7.7 | $515K | +0.2% | |
| Cuming County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 10.5 | $345K | −2.1% | |
| Butler County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $1.4M | +1.8% | |
| Knox County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 5.8 | $547K | −0.5% | |
| Cedar County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 11.6 | $316K | 0.0% | |
| Keith County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $1.3M | −2.7% | |
| Dawes County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 8.7 | $373K | −3.7% | |
| Richardson County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.2% | |
| Merrick County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $1.1M | +3.3% | |
| Pierce County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 3.5 | $1M | +0.5% | |
| Jefferson County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.6% | |
| Nemaha County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 10.5 | $322K | +0.2% | |
| Burt County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 6.8 | $495K | −0.6% | |
| Kearney County, NE | Not scored | 4 | 14.2 | $286K | +1.5% | |
| Thurston County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 10.1 | $338K | −0.1% | |
| Howard County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.8% | |
| Antelope County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 11.4 | $290K | +1.0% | |
| Clay County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 4.0 | $951K | +1.1% | |
| Stanton County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 4.3 | $946K | −1.4% | |
| Dixon County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 13.7 | $259K | +0.4% | |
| Fillmore County, NE | Not scored | 5 | 21.2 | $179K | −2.0% | |
| Cherry County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 4.5 | $736K | +1.9% | |
| Boone County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.1% | |
| Johnson County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 11.7 | $275K | −1.4% | |
| Polk County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.1% | |
| Sheridan County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 4.7 | $707K | −5.7% | |
| Thayer County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.6% | |
| Furnas County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 5.0 | $625K | −2.2% | |
| Morrill County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 10.4 | $297K | −3.3% | |
| Nuckolls County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.2% | |
| Valley County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 16.7 | $217K | +0.9% | |
| Chase County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 20.3 | $160K | −4.4% | |
| Webster County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.6% | |
| Nance County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 22.4 | $143K | −3.0% | |
| Kimball County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.5% | |
| Sherman County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% | |
| Brown County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 15.7 | $210K | −2.6% | |
| Harlan County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 8.4 | $524K | −1.9% | |
| Franklin County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.1% | |
| Perkins County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 8.4 | $421K | −0.3% | |
| Frontier County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 9.3 | $344K | +6.0% | |
| Hitchcock County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 9.0 | $326K | −5.9% | |
| Pawnee County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.0% | |
| Greeley County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 20.9 | $151K | −1.3% | |
| Gosper County, NE | Not scored | 2 | 23.9 | $163K | −4.8% | |
| Deuel County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.6% | |
| Garden County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 11.7 | $182K | −4.5% | |
| Dundy County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.2% | |
| Garfield County, NE | Not scored | 3 | 42.8 | $76K | −5.4% | |
| Boyd County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −7.5% | |
| Rock County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.7% | |
| Sioux County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 20.4 | $165K | +3.7% | |
| Wheeler County, NE | Not scored | 1 | 27.9 | $134K | +2.1% | |
| Hayes County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.2% | |
| Keya Paha County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.2% | |
| Logan County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −6.0% | |
| Banner County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.0% | |
| Hooker County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.8% | |
| Grant County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.3% | |
| Loup County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −6.1% | |
| Thomas County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.8% | |
| Arthur County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −7.9% | |
| McPherson County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −6.8% | |
| Blaine County, NE | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.8% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Nebraska?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 594 child care centers and preschools in Nebraska. 77 of them (13%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 739 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 5.1% from 2019. Official counts also show 4,648 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Nebraska spend on child care and other personal services?
About $335.9M a year, or $421 per household. That is 27% below the U.S. average (an index of 73, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 594 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $566K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 797,847 households in Nebraska and national spending patterns by income.
How does Nebraska compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Nebraska has 7.4 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 28% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $566K, 44% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Nebraska would have about 335, against 594 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,080 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 5.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Nebraska has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 4 scored metro areas in or partly in Nebraska, the Grand Island metro area scores highest, at 33 (lower middle). Among 9 scored small-town markets in or partly in Nebraska, the Beatrice area scores highest, at 47 (lower middle). Among 18 scored counties in Nebraska, Cass County scores highest, at 51 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Nebraska scores 20 for child care centers and preschools (low), #50 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Nebraska. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Nebraska
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.