Guide to Living in Bennington, Nebraska
By: Ryan Renner, Realtor
I have helped many families moving to Omaha. Contact me if you have any questions about the Omaha area or need help buying a home.
Bennington is a fast growing suburb in northwest Omaha.
Bennington’s population according to the 2020 census is 2,075.
But, that number is deceiving. It only counts the people that live in the city limits. A lot more people live outside the city.
To give you an example of how far off the number is, the Bennington Public Schools has an enrollment of 3,589 students.
Whether they reside within the city limits or not, most people who live in the school district refer to themselves as Bennington residents.
The map below shows the huge difference between the city limits and the school district.
Navigating Bennington
Military Road, one mile south of Bennington, is the primary road to get into Omaha. Military Road runs through Omaha, eventually turning into Blair High Road, Northwest Radial Highway, and Saddle Creek Road.
Highway 36 is another road used to enter north Omaha, eventually becoming McKinley Street. Finally, 168th Street and 156th Street are both main roads leading you back into town. Dodge Street and Maple Street are two great roads to use. Both are a few miles south of Bennington down 168th or 156th Streets.
Groceries, Shopping, Etc.
There aren’t a ton of shopping options in the city limits.
Most people will venture south to Maple St to do most of their shopping.
Maple St between 120th St & 168th St will have everything you need. Walmart, multiple Target stores, grocery stores, a movie theatre, restaurants, etc.
Commuting From Bennington
Your commute will depend on where you work.
Omaha traffic isn’t too bad compared to other similarly sized cities, but Bennington has the longest commute times of any Omaha suburb (unless you work in West Omaha).
If you work downtown, expect a 20-30 minute commute. And if you work in South Omaha or Offut Air Force Base, a good day is 40 minutes, and a bad day could be over an hour.
A 45-minute commute might be amazing if you are moving from a bigger city, but that’s a long commute in the Omaha area.
There’s no convenient interstate access from Bennington, which increases commute times. But if you live in Bennington, there are usually many different ways to get home. So, a bad accident or traffic jam on one street won’t completely ruin your commute.
Average Commute Times
Below are some average commute times from Bennington.
Bennington to Downtown Omaha – 25 to 40 minutes
Bennington to Midtown Omaha – 20 to 35 minutes
Bennington to Elkhorn / West Omaha – 10 to 20 minutes
Bennington to Papillion – 35 to 50 minutes
Bennington to Bellevue / Offutt Air Force Base – 35 to 50 minutes
Bennington to Gretna – 20 to 40 minutes
Moving to a new city can be stressful!
Let me help. I specialize in helping people relocate to Omaha.
Schools
Bennington Public Schools covers Bennington and the surrounding area.
There are 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. There is active discussion on building a second high school.
Because of the recent population growth, most of the school buildings are relatively new.
That growth also means periodic changes in the district boundaries. If you want to send your child to a specific elementary school, please check with the school district for an updated boundary map and any other residency policies/requirements.
Hospitals & Healthcare
If you need quick access to a major hospital, there are better places to live in Omaha.
But, that doesn’t mean Bennington is in the middle of nowhere. There are a few hospitals within 10-15 minutes.
- CHI Health Immanuel is 15 minutes away
- CHI Health Lakeside is about 20 minutes away
- Methodist Women’s Hospital is also about 20 minutes away
If you are looking for a general practitioner, dentist, pediatrician, or similar, you will find many options within 10-20 minutes.
Property Taxes
Property taxes are higher in Bennington than in most other areas of Omaha because of newer subdivisions and the higher tax levy of Bennington Public Schools.
If you buy a $300,000 home in Bennington, expect to pay around $5,000 – $6,000 in property taxes.
(Sales tax in Bennington is 7%, just like Omaha and surrounding communities)
City Services
OPPD provides electricity, while water, sewer, and gas are provided by MUD.
Unlike in Omaha, trash is not covered by property taxes. So, you are on your own. Many subdivisions have preferred trash vendors.
For fire and rescue, Bennington uses paid and volunteer firemen. Bennington does have a police department and is also covered by the Douglas County Sheriff.
Bennington has one library.
Buying a Home in Bennington
Expect to spend at least $300k. The median home price in 2022 was about $380k.
If that’s a little out of your budget, don’t despair. About 20% of the homes sold in 2022 were less than $300k.
So, what does $300k get you?
The home below sold in 2022 for $300k. It is 4 years old and has 3 beds, 3 baths, and a 2-car garage. It has a little over 1,800 square feet.
If you love newer homes, you’ll love Bennington. 80% of the homes sold in 2022 were built after 2010.
View a current list of homes for sale in Bennington.
Neighborhoods
Most of the neighborhoods in Bennington are going to be planned communities. And most have popped up in the past 20 years.
Bennington Lake (Newport Landing)
The most expensive homes in Bennington will be found surrounding this 280-acre lake. It’s tough to find anything under $900,000 on the lake.
Shadowbrook / Meadowridge
Located near 156th and State St., These neighborhoods were built by Celebrity Homes (a prominent tract builder in the area). Most homes were built between 2005-2015 and sold for $225k-$350k.
Things To Do
Prairie View Lake Recreation Area
Stone Creek Golf Course – An affordable 27-hole course with large practice facilities.
Restaurants
There are only a couple of traditional restaurants in Bennington. Most of the time, you’ll drive into Omaha for a few minutes to dine out.