Housing decision brief
Garfield County, NE Housing Market
Garfield County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
46th lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 2nd lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$144,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$519/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$843/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.1x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$324/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $31,017 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$144,900 median home value is 1% below Nebraska county median
Lower rent
$519/mo is 33% below Nebraska county median
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 98.8 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.44% effective property-tax rate is 14% above Nebraska county median
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 $31,017, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- 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 Garfield 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. | $144,900 | $146,300 | $281,900 | Near state median1% below Nebraska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $519 | $772 | $1,163 | 33% favorable33% below Nebraska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $843 | $791 | $1,672 | 7% pressure7% above Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $68,611 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 5% favorable5% above Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.44% | 1.26% | 1.02% | 14% pressure14% above Nebraska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 30% pressure30.00% 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
+$47,851
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$32,482
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Garfield County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $519/month representing approximately 9.1% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 30.0%.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Garfield County is $519/month, while owner costs run $843/month. Renting saves approximately $324/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $20,760/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,129/year. With a median household income of $68,611, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Garfield County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Hooker County where rent averages $581/month, Garfield County is approximately 11% less expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier County, NE | $138,800 | $605/mo | Same-state comparison near $138,800 home value and $605/mo rent. |
| Dixon County, NE | $141,400 | $661/mo | Same-state comparison near $141,400 home value and $661/mo rent. |
| Wheeler County, NE | $135,900 | $525/mo | Same-state comparison near $135,900 home value and $525/mo rent. |
| Harlan County, NE | $147,200 | $708/mo | Same-state comparison near $147,200 home value and $708/mo rent. |
| Scotland County, MO | $141,100 | $516/mo | Out-of-state peer near $141,100 home value and $516/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $31,017 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Garfield County
Is Garfield County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Garfield County?
How much income do you need for housing in Garfield County?
What should I double-check before moving to Garfield County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.