Housing decision brief
Red Willow County, NE Housing Market
Red Willow County screens as a below-state purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable 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.
45th lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 51st lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$143,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$778/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$758/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$20/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
$143,500 median home value is 2% below Nebraska county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $20/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 79.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$60,000 median income is 8% below 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.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
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 Red Willow 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. | $143,500 | $146,300 | $281,900 | Near state median2% below Nebraska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $778 | $772 | $1,163 | Near state median1% above Nebraska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $758 | $791 | $1,672 | Near state median4% below Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $60,000 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 8% pressure8% below Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.26% | 1.26% | 1.02% | Near state medianAt the 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
+$28,880
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$27,514
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Red Willow County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $778/month representing approximately 15.6% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 30.0%.
Rent vs own
At $778/month rent versus $758/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $20/month cheaper , a 3% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,120/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $32,486/year. With a median household income of $60,000, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Red Willow County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Red Willow County sits 7% more expensive than Nemaha County ($727/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, NE | $131,500 | $777/mo | Same-state comparison near $131,500 home value and $777/mo rent. |
| Keith County, NE | $157,000 | $772/mo | Same-state comparison near $157,000 home value and $772/mo rent. |
| Sioux County, NE | $141,700 | $743/mo | Same-state comparison near $141,700 home value and $743/mo rent. |
| Perkins County, NE | $149,200 | $783/mo | Same-state comparison near $149,200 home value and $783/mo rent. |
| Sherman County, NE | $135,000 | $866/mo | Same-state comparison near $135,000 home value and $866/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Red Willow County
Is Red Willow County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Red Willow County?
How much income do you need for housing in Red Willow County?
What should I double-check before moving to Red Willow County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.