Housing decision brief
Valley County, NE Housing Market
Valley 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.
29th lowest home value out of 93 Nebraska counties with data | 11th lowest rent out of 93
Median home value
$122,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$616/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$803/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
18.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$187/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$122,200 median home value is 16% below Nebraska county median
Lower rent
$616/mo is 20% below Nebraska county median
Rent burden below pressure line
18.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Lower income base
$58,902 median income is 10% below Nebraska county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.55% effective property-tax rate is 23% 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
- 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
- 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 Valley 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. | $122,200 | $146,300 | $281,900 | 16% favorable16% 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. | $803 | $791 | $1,672 | Near state median2% above Nebraska county median |
Median household income | $58,902 | $65,438 | $74,755 | 10% pressure10% below Nebraska county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.55% | 1.26% | 1.02% | 23% pressure23% above Nebraska county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 18.00% | 23.00% | N/A | 22% favorable18.00% 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
+$34,262
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$24,488
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Valley County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $616/month in gross rent, with 18.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
At $616/month rent versus $803/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $187/month cheaper , a 23% difference.
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 $34,414/year. With a median household income of $58,902, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 18.0% of renter households in Valley County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock County, NE | $124,400 | $608/mo | Same-state comparison near $124,400 home value and $608/mo rent. |
| Loup County, NE | $120,700 | $650/mo | Same-state comparison near $120,700 home value and $650/mo rent. |
| McPherson County, NE | $124,200 | $653/mo | Same-state comparison near $124,200 home value and $653/mo rent. |
| Dundy County, NE | $118,200 | $588/mo | Same-state comparison near $118,200 home value and $588/mo rent. |
| Jefferson County, NE | $117,600 | $659/mo | Same-state comparison near $117,600 home value and $659/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 1 active site in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Valley County
Is Valley County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Valley County?
How much income do you need for housing in Valley County?
What should I double-check before moving to Valley County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.