Housing decision brief
Niobrara County, WY Housing Market
Niobrara 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.
2nd lowest home value out of 23 Wyoming counties with data | 5th lowest rent out of 23
Median home value
$194,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$775/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$674/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
24.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$101/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$194,200 median home value is 25% below Wyoming county median
Lower rent
$775/mo is 15% below Wyoming county median
Rent burden below pressure line
24.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $101/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 96.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$48,987 median income is 31% below Wyoming 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
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- 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 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 Niobrara 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. | $194,200 | $260,400 | $281,900 | 25% favorable25% below Wyoming county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $775 | $913 | $1,163 | 15% favorable15% below Wyoming county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $674 | $938 | $1,672 | 28% favorable28% below Wyoming county median |
Median household income | $48,987 | $70,855 | $74,755 | 31% pressure31% below Wyoming county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.38% | 0.57% | 1.02% | 33% favorable33% below Wyoming county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 24.00% | 25.00% | N/A | Near state median24.00% 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
+$17,987
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$20,101
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Niobrara County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $775/month representing approximately 19.0% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 24.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Niobrara County pay $775/month on average, compared to $674/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 13%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $28,886/year. With a median household income of $48,987, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 24.0% of renter households in Niobrara County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Wyoming, Niobrara County is more affordable than Weston County by roughly 12% ($775/mo vs $694/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washakie County, WY | $188,600 | $725/mo | Same-state comparison near $188,600 home value and $725/mo rent. |
| Big Horn County, WY | $198,200 | $876/mo | Same-state comparison near $198,200 home value and $876/mo rent. |
| DeKalb County, TN | $206,600 | $773/mo | Out-of-state peer near $206,600 home value and $773/mo rent. |
| Clark County, ID | $203,000 | $771/mo | Out-of-state peer near $203,000 home value and $771/mo rent. |
| Rutherford County, NC | $180,800 | $748/mo | Out-of-state peer near $180,800 home value and $748/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 Niobrara County
Is Niobrara County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Niobrara County?
How much income do you need for housing in Niobrara County?
What should I double-check before moving to Niobrara County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.