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Moving to
Chalco.
Chalco is an unincorporated community in Sarpy County, NE. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Chalco
Chalco is an unincorporated community in Nebraska with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Chalco deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Chalco compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Chalco
Based on Chalco's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,390
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,800 a year
- 50% of Chalco renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,860
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,195/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,195 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $238,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $238,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Sarpy County is 2.8%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Sarpy County (county-wide)
Safety
17 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Chalco doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 518/100k · Policed by Sarpy County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 23% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% 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
0 public schools inside the boundary
No public school is located inside the boundary; students attend schools in the surrounding district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (13 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Chalco's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,195/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 (county-wide unemployment is low), and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Chalco
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