Kearney County, Nebraska Housing Market Prices
Kearney County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 22% below the Nebraska median More expensive than 71% of counties in Nebraska$137,500
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Median rent 20% below the Nebraska median$857
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $137,500 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 84.3% | 7.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $857 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.6% | 4.7% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Kearney County is about 22% lower than in Nebraska. Rent is about 20% lower than the Nebraska average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2022
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kearney County, up about 84.3% and 2.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Kearney County rose about 21.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $703 to $857. Over the same span, rent in Nebraska rose about 47.6%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.8 yearly household incomes in Kearney County.
Buying the median-priced home in Kearney County costs roughly 13.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Kearney County. The price-to-rent ratio in Nebraska is about 13.6.
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $137,500 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $76,831 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2022, the median home price in Kearney County rose about 3.6%, while median household income rose about 43.5% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 73.0% | 61.5% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 21.2% | 30.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.8% | 7.6% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2012 | 2011 |
Kearney County has a homeownership rate of 73.0%, higher than the Nebraska average of 61.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.8%, compared with 7.6% in Nebraska.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Kearney County | Nebraska Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.37 people | 2.42 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1968 | 1974 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.9 | 6.1 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Kearney County was built around 1968. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 6.9 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Kearney County, NE Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
How Kearney County, NE compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney County, NE | 6,713 | $137,500 #2/2 | $857 #2/2 | 77.5% #1/2 |
| Buffalo County, NE | 50,579 | $238,571 | $935 | 66.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Kearney County, Nebraska.
What is the median home price in Kearney County, Nebraska?
The median home price in Kearney County, Nebraska is $137,500, lower than the Nebraska average of $175,282.
What is the average home price in Kearney County, Nebraska?
The typical home price in Kearney County, Nebraska, reported as the median sale price, is $137,500. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Kearney County, Nebraska?
The median gross rent in Kearney County, Nebraska is $857 per month, lower than the Nebraska average of $1,071.
What was the median gross rent in Kearney County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Kearney County, Nebraska was $691 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Kearney County, Nebraska?
The price-to-rent ratio in Kearney County, Nebraska is about 13.4, meaning it would take roughly 13.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Kearney County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Kearney County, Nebraska?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kearney County, up about 84.3% and 2.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Kearney County, Nebraska?
73.0% of households in Kearney County, Nebraska own their home, higher than the Nebraska average of 61.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Kearney County, Nebraska?
The housing vacancy rate in Kearney County, Nebraska is 5.8%, lower than the Nebraska average of 7.6%.
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