Shelton vs Wood River
Shelton, Nebraska versus Wood River, Nebraska: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Shelton and Wood River score about the same overall (48 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Shelton | Wood River |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $67k | $69k |
| Cost of Living | $45k | $45k |
| Home Value | $133k | $125k |
| Monthly Rent | $848 | $883 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $385 | $366 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.77% | 1.64% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 6.97% | 6.97% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.20% | 11.66% |
| Unemployment | 8.6% | 5.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 26°F | 26°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.5 in | 28.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 21.8 in | 28.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 266 days | 266 days |
| Summer Humidity | 64°F | 64°F |
| Comfortable Days | 62 days | 63 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.6 | 86.5 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.5 | 79.8 |
| Violent Crime | 0/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 0/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,333 | 1,405 |
| Median Age | 34.2 | 35.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.37 | 0.28 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.20 | 1.11 |
| Political Leaning | R+36 | R+36 |
| White (%) | 76.4% | 71.6% |
| Black (%) | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 22.4% | 27.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 6.8/20 | 6.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 152 mi | 145 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.2% | 85.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 37.51 | 28.47 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Shelton or Wood River more affordable?
- Wood River has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Shelton's $45k and Wood River's $45k. Median rent is $848 in Shelton versus $883 in Wood River.
- Is Shelton or Wood River safer?
- Wood River has the lower violent crime rate. Shelton reports 0/100k and Wood River reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Shelton or Wood River?
- The median home value is $133k in Shelton and $125k in Wood River, so homes are more affordable in Wood River.