Housing decision brief
Pawnee County, NE Housing Market
Pawnee 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.
1st lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 10th lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$74,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$616/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$586/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$30/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $18,561 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$74,800 median home value is 49% below Nebraska county median
Lower rent
$616/mo is 20% below Nebraska county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $30/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 96.2 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$54,926 median income is 16% below Nebraska county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.59% effective property-tax rate is 26% 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 $18,561, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
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 Pawnee 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. | $74,800 | $146,300 | $281,900 | 49% favorable49% below Nebraska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $616 | $772 | $1,163 | 20% favorable20% below Nebraska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $586 | $791 | $1,672 | 26% favorable26% below Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $54,926 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 16% pressure16% below Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.59% | 1.26% | 1.02% | 26% pressure26% above Nebraska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 17% favorable19.00% 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
+$30,286
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$29,812
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Pawnee County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $616/month representing approximately 13.5% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 19.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Pawnee County pay $616/month on average, compared to $586/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 5%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $24,640/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $25,114/year. With a median household income of $54,926, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Pawnee County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Pawnee County sits 8% less expensive than Fillmore County ($667/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Hooker County, NE | $85,400 | $581/mo | Same-state comparison near $85,400 home value and $581/mo rent. |
| Hitchcock County, NE | $88,800 | $715/mo | Same-state comparison near $88,800 home value and $715/mo rent. |
| Richardson County, NE | $96,500 | $692/mo | Same-state comparison near $96,500 home value and $692/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $18,561 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Pawnee County
Is Pawnee County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Pawnee County?
How much income do you need for housing in Pawnee County?
What should I double-check before moving to Pawnee County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.