What it's like to live in Bellevue
Bellevue is a smaller city in Nebraska with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bellevue deals with cold, harsh winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Bellevue compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bellevue
Based on Bellevue's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,452
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,040 a year
- 41% of Bellevue renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,400
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,700
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 13% below US
$1,226/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,226 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $247,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $247,000 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 67% below US
108 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1144/100k · Bellevue Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
29 public schools inside the boundary
There are 29 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (8 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bellevue's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,226/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Bellevue
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