Housing decision brief
Hooker County, NE Housing Market
Hooker 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.
2nd lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 4th lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$85,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$581/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$488/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
15.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$93/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$85,400 median home value is 42% below Nebraska county median
Lower rent
$581/mo is 25% below Nebraska county median
Rent burden below pressure line
15.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $93/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 99.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$45,854 median income is 30% below Nebraska county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.43% effective property-tax rate is 13% 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.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- 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
- 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 Hooker 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. | $85,400 | $146,300 | $281,900 | 42% favorable42% below Nebraska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $581 | $772 | $1,163 | 25% favorable25% below Nebraska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $488 | $791 | $1,672 | 38% favorable38% below Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $45,854 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 30% pressure30% below Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.43% | 1.26% | 1.02% | 13% pressure13% above Nebraska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 15.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 35% favorable15.00% 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
+$22,614
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$24,940
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Hooker County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $581/month representing approximately 15.2% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 15.0%.
Rent vs own
At $581/month rent versus $488/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $93/month cheaper , a 16% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $23,240/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $20,914/year. With a median household income of $45,854, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 15.0% of renter households in Hooker County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Nebraska, Hooker County is more affordable than Wheeler County by roughly 11% ($581/mo vs $525/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden County, NE | $95,500 | $675/mo | Same-state comparison near $95,500 home value and $675/mo rent. |
| Pawnee County, NE | $74,800 | $616/mo | Same-state comparison near $74,800 home value and $616/mo rent. |
| Hitchcock County, NE | $88,800 | $715/mo | Same-state comparison near $88,800 home value and $715/mo rent. |
| Greeley County, NE | $87,800 | $643/mo | Same-state comparison near $87,800 home value and $643/mo rent. |
| Franklin County, NE | $99,100 | $613/mo | Same-state comparison near $99,100 home value and $613/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Hooker County
Is Hooker County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Hooker County?
How much income do you need for housing in Hooker County?
What should I double-check before moving to Hooker County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.