Nebraska is not for everyone.
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1/5/2020
I have lived in Papillion Nebraska for twenty years. I live in an older part of town that is annexed and cannot speak to what goes on in the SIDs. I am going to try to make this review fair. Since we have had such an influx in population, I want people to understand what they are getting into.
The Good:
City services in Papillion are outstanding. The snowplows stay on top of clearing streets in the winter and the city maintains the streets during pothole season. It is noticeable when you cross the county line into Omaha how much better maintained the streets are in Papillion. The local government puts significant effort into making sure Papillion is clean and well maintained.
A significant military and professional population are residing in Papillion. Yards and homes are well maintained, people generally take care of themselves and the community. Most people are polite and keep to themselves.
The police department is very visible and widely engaged in the community. Crime is still low but increasing as the gangs are moving south out of Omaha. Police response times are good.
The schools are pretty good. The teachers are very invested in the students. Classroom sizes are between 20-30/teacher. Special education services are excellent but there is a lack of diversity and bullying is very common.
There are community events year-round and the Papillion Days festival is the best in the area. There are numerous family amenities including a new recreation center, Papio Bay pool, walking trails, parks, lakes, and bowling. The Omaha Zoo is a 15-minute drive. There are many more opportunities within a 30-minute drive.
There has been a big increase in the number of restaurants and retail stores available in the community, although it is largely restaurant chains, banks and dentist offices. Any amenities that you cannot find in Papillion are available in Omaha (15 minutes) or Kansas City (3 hours).
The reasons you need to think before you move here.
Nebraska's climate is unforgiving. We can hit -30 in the winter and well over 100 in the summer. Its almost always windy and spring/fall last about a week. Winter begins in October and lasts through May. It is cold, cloudy and windy most of the winter. Summers are hot and very humid. Since 2017 we have had record-breaking flooding (Sarpy County/South Papillion) a significant hail storm that took out our roof and skylights, a straight-line wind and tornado event that caused significant damage throughout the county, multiple blizzards, heat warnings, and wind chill warnings. Home and auto insurance are not cheap in this area.
Which leads us into the reason I will be leaving, it is not cheap to live here, not by a long shot. There are significant taxes on everything. Eating out in Omaha will find you paying three taxes on your meal. Shopping at the outlets in Gretna will land you two taxes on your bill. The gasoline taxes and property taxes are high (expect to spend $400+ a month on a $200,000 home). If you commute to Omaha you pay a wheel tax. Buying a vehicle will set you back thousands in taxes. The city is growing at an exceptional rate and home prices are soaring.
The drivers are pretty terrible in this area. DUI's are common and congestion is getting ridiculous. It is a very dangerous place to try to be a pedestrian and the community is not set up for walkers. There is no mass transportation, you have to own a vehicle to live here.
There isn't much in the way of outdoor recreation unless you like to cycle or run. There is a large network of running trails. Despite all the snow, there isn't a lot to do in the winter. No skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or sledding. Fishing opportunities are ok, hunting is non-existent. Western Nebraska or surrounding states provide better opportunities for outdoor recreation.
To summarize, this is a great place to live if you are upper-middle-class or wealthy and don't care about being outside. Papillion is on track to be a large suburb of Omaha. The local government is good and tries very hard to keep Papillion nice. For some families, this may be the ideal place to live but it is definitely not for everyone.
Elizabeth | Papillion, NE