Nebraska
Ranked #9 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$245K
3.29x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,042
27.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$75K
Population: 1,967,923
Homeownership
🏡66.0%
2,562 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉22,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨10,479
Price-to-Income
📊3.29x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️12.0%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($1186) is above the state median rent ($1042) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in Nebraska
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | 68 | $278K | $1,168 | $81K | 27.5% |
| Lincoln | 81 | $277K | $1,018 | $71K | 21.9% |
| Grand Island | 91 | $203K | $947 | $71K | 10.7% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
66.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
17.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
813,864
Owner-Occupied
539,532
Renter-Occupied
274,332
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
2,720
1-Year Change
+10.5%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
-0.9%
2,744 → 2,720
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
10,479
0.7% of national total
Single-Family
5,655
54% of state permits
Multi-Family
4,824
46% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
22,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.3% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
Nebraska burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
27.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
12.0%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
55,344
Households >35% Burden
19,071