Housing decision brief
Dawes County, NE Housing Market
Dawes County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
48th lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 89th lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$146,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,014/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$925/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$89/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $44,435 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $89/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 94.5 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$54,381 median income is 17% below Nebraska county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.34% effective property-tax rate is 7% above Nebraska county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $44,435, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Dawes County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $146,500 | $146,300 | $281,900 | Near state medianAt the Nebraska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,014 | $772 | $1,163 | 31% pressure31% above Nebraska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $925 | $791 | $1,672 | 17% pressure17% above Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $54,381 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 17% pressure17% below Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.34% | 1.26% | 1.02% | 7% pressure7% above Nebraska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 26% pressure29.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$13,821
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$14,738
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Dawes County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,014/month representing approximately 22.4% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 29.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Dawes County pay $1,014/month on average, compared to $925/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 9%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $40,560/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $39,643/year. With a median household income of $54,381, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Dawes County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Dawes County sits 6% more expensive than Washington County ($958/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne County, NE | $129,100 | $912/mo | Same-state comparison near $129,100 home value and $912/mo rent. |
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | $161,400 | $889/mo | Same-state comparison near $161,400 home value and $889/mo rent. |
| Sioux County, NE | $141,700 | $743/mo | Same-state comparison near $141,700 home value and $743/mo rent. |
| Sherman County, NE | $135,000 | $866/mo | Same-state comparison near $135,000 home value and $866/mo rent. |
| Cherry County, NE | $136,000 | $873/mo | Same-state comparison near $136,000 home value and $873/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $44,435 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Dawes County
Is Dawes County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Dawes County?
How much income do you need for housing in Dawes County?
What should I double-check before moving to Dawes County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.