Housing decision brief
Rock County, NE Housing Market
Rock County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
32nd lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 7th lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$124,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$608/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$628/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
25.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$20/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $38,695 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$124,400 median home value is 15% below Nebraska county median
Lower rent
$608/mo is 21% below Nebraska county median
Rent burden below pressure line
25.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 99.3 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$57,500 median income is 12% 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.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $38,695, 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
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- 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 Rock 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. | $124,400 | $146,300 | $281,900 | 15% favorable15% below Nebraska county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $608 | $772 | $1,163 | 21% favorable21% below Nebraska county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $628 | $791 | $1,672 | 21% favorable21% below Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $57,500 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 12% pressure12% below Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.02% | 1.26% | 1.02% | 19% favorable19% below Nebraska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 25.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 9% pressure25.00% 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
+$33,180
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$30,586
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Rock County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $608/month representing approximately 12.7% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 25.0%.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Rock County is $608/month, while owner costs run $628/month. Renting saves approximately $20/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $24,320/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $26,914/year. With a median household income of $57,500, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 25.0% of renter households in Rock County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Jefferson County where rent averages $659/month, Rock County is approximately 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley County, NE | $122,200 | $616/mo | Same-state comparison near $122,200 home value and $616/mo rent. |
| Dundy County, NE | $118,200 | $588/mo | Same-state comparison near $118,200 home value and $588/mo rent. |
| Burt County, NE | $125,400 | $688/mo | Same-state comparison near $125,400 home value and $688/mo rent. |
| McPherson County, NE | $124,200 | $653/mo | Same-state comparison near $124,200 home value and $653/mo rent. |
| Loup County, NE | $120,700 | $650/mo | Same-state comparison near $120,700 home value and $650/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $38,695 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 Rock County
Is Rock County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Rock County?
How much income do you need for housing in Rock County?
What should I double-check before moving to Rock County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.