County housing intelligence
Nebraska Housing Market by County
Nebraska is not one housing market. Across 93 counties, the median county home value is $157,200 and the median county rent is $777/mo. The useful question is not whether Nebraska is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$157,200
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$777/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
93
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Nebraska Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Sarpy County, Washington County, Lancaster County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Pawnee County, Hooker County, Franklin County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Sarpy County, Douglas County, Lancaster County lead on rent, while Garfield County, Hayes County, Wheeler County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Nuckolls County, Pawnee County, Deuel County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Pawnee County
$79,400
- 2. Hooker County
$93,800
- 3. Franklin County
$95,600
- 4. Nuckolls County
$96,500
- 5. Hitchcock County
$96,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Nuckolls County
1.3x home-value-to-income
- 2. Pawnee County
1.3x home-value-to-income
- 3. Deuel County
1.4x home-value-to-income
- 4. Boyd County
1.6x home-value-to-income
- 5. Franklin County
1.6x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Garfield County
$490/mo
- 2. Hayes County
$508/mo
- 3. Wheeler County
$509/mo
- 4. Nuckolls County
$585/mo
- 5. McPherson County
$588/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Hooker County
10.8% rent burden
- 2. Hayes County
12.2% rent burden
- 3. Wheeler County
13.1% rent burden
- 4. Thomas County
13.4% rent burden
- 5. Blaine County
14.4% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Grant County
0.68% effective tax rate
- 2. Loup County
0.71% effective tax rate
- 3. Wheeler County
0.79% effective tax rate
- 4. Dundy County
0.80% effective tax rate
- 5. Arthur County
0.93% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Keya Paha County
$283/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Colfax County
$238/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Deuel County
$227/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Grant County
$182/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Cherry County
$175/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Nuckolls County
$73,976 income, 1.3x value-to-income
- 2. Deuel County
$70,096 income, 1.4x value-to-income
- 3. Pawnee County
$62,188 income, 1.3x value-to-income
- 4. Colfax County
$82,530 income, 1.8x value-to-income
- 5. Boyd County
$67,045 income, 1.6x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Pawnee County $79,400 home value, $62,188 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Pawnee County $79,400 home value, 1.52% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Brown County $876/mo rent, 41.50% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Sarpy County $314,100 home value, $103,321 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Nebraska County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuckolls County | $96,500 | $585/mo | $73,976 | 1.3x | 1.17% |
| Pawnee County | $79,400 | $706/mo | $62,188 | 1.3x | 1.52% |
| Deuel County | $100,200 | $872/mo | $70,096 | 1.4x | 1.43% |
| Boyd County | $104,000 | $713/mo | $67,045 | 1.6x | 1.10% |
| Franklin County | $95,600 | $691/mo | $60,195 | 1.6x | 1.28% |
| Furnas County | $98,400 | $763/mo | $61,048 | 1.6x | 1.38% |
| Blaine County | $116,900 | $873/mo | $69,583 | 1.7x | 1.14% |
| Keya Paha County | $108,800 | $875/mo | $64,000 | 1.7x | 1.29% |
| Richardson County | $100,300 | $691/mo | $60,108 | 1.7x | 1.43% |
| Thomas County | $109,200 | $638/mo | $65,000 | 1.7x | 1.25% |
| Thurston County | $114,600 | $699/mo | $69,177 | 1.7x | 1.47% |
| Colfax County | $144,700 | $980/mo | $82,530 | 1.8x | 1.18% |
| Hayes County | $128,100 | $508/mo | $69,250 | 1.8x | 1.01% |
| Sioux County | $99,300 | $745/mo | $53,929 | 1.8x | 1.63% |
| Webster County | $117,600 | $647/mo | $64,347 | 1.8x | 1.45% |
| Grant County | $136,700 | $867/mo | $70,147 | 1.9x | 0.68% |
| Greeley County | $120,000 | $613/mo | $63,929 | 1.9x | 1.29% |
| Hitchcock County | $96,700 | $714/mo | $51,567 | 1.9x | 1.17% |
| Hooker County | $93,800 | $592/mo | $49,464 | 1.9x | 1.04% |
| Kimball County | $109,400 | $846/mo | $56,712 | 1.9x | 1.67% |
| Sheridan County | $113,400 | $738/mo | $60,121 | 1.9x | 1.37% |
| Thayer County | $122,800 | $766/mo | $66,213 | 1.9x | 1.03% |
| Antelope County | $130,300 | $692/mo | $66,105 | 2.0x | 1.23% |
| Clay County | $155,600 | $645/mo | $78,986 | 2.0x | 1.20% |
| Fillmore County | $151,000 | $716/mo | $76,295 | 2.0x | 0.99% |
| Knox County | $127,700 | $647/mo | $64,636 | 2.0x | 1.15% |
| Morrill County | $116,100 | $768/mo | $58,500 | 2.0x | 1.42% |
| Nance County | $132,000 | $807/mo | $65,179 | 2.0x | 1.10% |
| Rock County | $117,500 | $644/mo | $58,125 | 2.0x | 1.07% |
| Brown County | $113,900 | $876/mo | $54,676 | 2.1x | 1.10% |
| Frontier County | $149,800 | $666/mo | $70,132 | 2.1x | 1.40% |
| Harlan County | $145,800 | $657/mo | $70,625 | 2.1x | 1.29% |
| McPherson County | $121,600 | $588/mo | $58,684 | 2.1x | 1.11% |
| Wheeler County | $146,500 | $509/mo | $70,250 | 2.1x | 0.79% |
| Dixon County | $155,900 | $689/mo | $72,454 | 2.2x | 1.20% |
| Jefferson County | $129,500 | $662/mo | $59,044 | 2.2x | 1.46% |
| Nemaha County | $131,700 | $772/mo | $60,924 | 2.2x | 1.44% |
| Perkins County | $157,200 | $922/mo | $72,778 | 2.2x | 1.00% |
| Boone County | $173,700 | $850/mo | $74,947 | 2.3x | 1.03% |
| Burt County | $147,000 | $708/mo | $63,685 | 2.3x | 1.32% |
| Butler County | $184,200 | $776/mo | $79,268 | 2.3x | 1.11% |
| Cherry County | $152,200 | $916/mo | $66,270 | 2.3x | 0.99% |
| Cheyenne County | $139,700 | $821/mo | $60,348 | 2.3x | 1.65% |
| Custer County | $157,800 | $853/mo | $67,906 | 2.3x | 1.16% |
| Arthur County | $185,900 | $750/mo | $76,250 | 2.4x | 0.93% |
| Box Butte County | $166,600 | $752/mo | $68,892 | 2.4x | 1.51% |
| Chase County | $165,900 | $800/mo | $68,173 | 2.4x | 1.28% |
| Dawson County | $166,200 | $925/mo | $69,880 | 2.4x | 1.31% |
| Dundy County | $143,400 | $656/mo | $58,922 | 2.4x | 0.80% |
| Holt County | $165,100 | $714/mo | $68,513 | 2.4x | 1.11% |
| Logan County | $175,000 | $761/mo | $74,271 | 2.4x | 0.98% |
| Sherman County | $152,000 | $818/mo | $63,578 | 2.4x | 1.16% |
| Stanton County | $195,400 | $902/mo | $80,687 | 2.4x | 1.26% |
| York County | $189,400 | $877/mo | $77,757 | 2.4x | 1.19% |
| Cedar County | $185,000 | $716/mo | $73,578 | 2.5x | 1.00% |
| Cuming County | $178,800 | $789/mo | $71,104 | 2.5x | 1.00% |
| Loup County | $182,300 | $688/mo | $71,667 | 2.5x | 0.71% |
| Otoe County | $201,600 | $914/mo | $82,188 | 2.5x | 1.33% |
| Red Willow County | $159,600 | $819/mo | $63,697 | 2.5x | 1.18% |
| Saline County | $197,400 | $914/mo | $79,910 | 2.5x | 1.35% |
| Valley County | $154,600 | $626/mo | $61,852 | 2.5x | 1.32% |
| Banner County | $205,700 | $975/mo | $78,839 | 2.6x | 1.26% |
| Dakota County | $185,700 | $1,069/mo | $70,329 | 2.6x | 1.54% |
| Gage County | $174,000 | $774/mo | $67,247 | 2.6x | 1.41% |
| Garden County | $110,400 | $700/mo | $41,882 | 2.6x | 1.01% |
| Merrick County | $175,900 | $750/mo | $68,354 | 2.6x | 1.30% |
| Scotts Bluff County | $168,500 | $909/mo | $63,614 | 2.6x | 1.48% |
| Dawes County | $150,900 | $900/mo | $56,280 | 2.7x | 1.45% |
| Howard County | $209,100 | $777/mo | $76,767 | 2.7x | 1.16% |
| Johnson County | $155,500 | $779/mo | $57,632 | 2.7x | 1.32% |
| Pierce County | $196,000 | $884/mo | $72,357 | 2.7x | 1.14% |
| Polk County | $189,900 | $681/mo | $69,768 | 2.7x | 0.99% |
| Adams County | $193,100 | $857/mo | $68,365 | 2.8x | 1.45% |
| Cass County | $254,900 | $996/mo | $91,836 | 2.8x | 1.43% |
| Dodge County | $208,600 | $1,060/mo | $74,329 | 2.8x | 1.27% |
| Garfield County | $176,600 | $490/mo | $62,804 | 2.8x | 1.35% |
| Kearney County | $223,400 | $857/mo | $78,631 | 2.8x | 1.23% |
| Keith County | $168,000 | $771/mo | $60,645 | 2.8x | 1.41% |
| Phelps County | $194,900 | $815/mo | $68,919 | 2.8x | 1.32% |
| Gosper County | $228,500 | $664/mo | $77,500 | 2.9x | 1.05% |
| Lincoln County | $189,500 | $900/mo | $65,148 | 2.9x | 1.47% |
| Saunders County | $271,700 | $960/mo | $94,066 | 2.9x | 1.30% |
| Seward County | $241,300 | $980/mo | $82,444 | 2.9x | 1.18% |
| Hamilton County | $253,700 | $794/mo | $83,994 | 3.0x | 0.95% |
| Sarpy County | $314,100 | $1,334/mo | $103,321 | 3.0x | 1.74% |
| Platte County | $223,900 | $897/mo | $71,552 | 3.1x | 1.29% |
| Buffalo County | $246,400 | $936/mo | $75,911 | 3.2x | 1.44% |
| Hall County | $224,600 | $943/mo | $69,251 | 3.2x | 1.39% |
| Washington County | $297,600 | $965/mo | $94,396 | 3.2x | 1.39% |
| Douglas County | $266,100 | $1,201/mo | $80,391 | 3.3x | 1.69% |
| Madison County | $208,500 | $881/mo | $63,128 | 3.3x | 1.37% |
| Wayne County | $221,600 | $800/mo | $66,215 | 3.3x | 1.12% |
| Lancaster County | $275,200 | $1,085/mo | $74,793 | 3.7x | 1.53% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Nebraska by county?
What is the typical rent in Nebraska by county?
Which Nebraska counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.