The Town FilesPaxton, Nebraska
Village in Keith County · population 516 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $131,300
- Household income
- $66,875
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 14 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 8
- Median age
- 30.0
Paxton is a village of 516 people in Keith County, Nebraska. The median home is worth $131,300, below the typical Nebraska town ($154,800). It ranks quieter than 99% of Nebraska towns, better for a vacation home than 95% of Nebraska towns, easier by car than 85% of Nebraska towns.
How Paxton ranks
Percentile among Nebraska towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Nebraska towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Paxton is worth $131,300, below the typical Nebraska town ($154,800). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $66,875, which is more affordable than 68% of Nebraska towns. Median rent is $848 a month. 67.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Paxton | Typical Nebraska town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $131,300 | $154,800 |
| Median rent | $848 | $818 |
| Median household income | $66,875 | $66,320 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.0× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 67.6% | 73.2% |
| Median year built | 1952 | 1963 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.0% | — |
Who lives in Paxton
| People | Paxton | Typical Nebraska town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.0 | 39.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.2% | 20.8% |
| Under 18 | 30.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 22.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 3.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.7% | 87.8% |
Weather in Paxton
July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 17.7°F. About 19.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 14.0 inches of snow (typical Nebraska town: 28.6 in). Expect about 42 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paxton since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Nebraska town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 18, 1990 about 3.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 29, 2013.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 97 times; the largest was 4.25 inches on June 21, 2015.
Severe weather in Keith County since 1996
Keith County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2026 | Fire | FM-5623: Morrill-Cottonwood Fire |
| August 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4808: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4521: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3483: Covid-19 |
| June 29, 2018 | Snowstorm | DR-4375: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
Jobs and pay in Keith County
Keith County had 3,344 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,634 a year. Unemployment was 1.8% in 2023; in Paxton itself the ACS puts it at 0.9%.
Public schools in Paxton
2 public schools with 201 students, about 9.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAXTON HIGH SCHOOL | 7-12 | 108 | 9.0 |
| PAXTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-6 | 93 | 9.3 |
Towns near Paxton
- Sutherland, NE12.2 mi · 1,313 people · home $188,200
- Hershey, NE18.6 mi · 649 people · home $172,000
- Ogallala, NE19.2 mi · 4,878 people · home $155,800
- Grant, NE27.4 mi · 1,197 people · home $154,600
Paxton questions
Is Paxton, Nebraska a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Paxton scores better for retirees than 56% of Nebraska towns and quieter than 99%. 13.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.0).
How much does a house cost in Paxton?
The median owner-occupied home in Paxton is valued at $131,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,875, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $848 a month.
What is the weather like in Paxton?
July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 17.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.2 inches of precipitation a year and 14.0 inches of snow.
Does Paxton get tornadoes?
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paxton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 18, 1990. The typical Nebraska town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)