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Dixon County, NE

Rent vs Own in Dixon County, Nebraska

In Dixon County the ownership stack ($990/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $961/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 1,674.

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Renting is cheaper in Dixon County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $961/mo - only a thin step below the $990/mo ownership stack. That is a $29/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Dixon County

Primary driver

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $72,454, and the 2.2x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 2.6% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 2

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Dixon County from $1,043/mo in FY2025 to $961/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $82/mo (-7.9%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $155,900 for the median home and $1,874/yr in tax (1.20%), Dixon County's ownership stack (~$990/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $961/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $29/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Dixon County ranks 46 of 93 Nebraska counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 47 other Nebraska counties on this measure.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$990
Mortgage (P&I) $788
Property Tax $156
Insurance (est.) $45
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$961
Studio$666
1-Bedroom$862
2-Bedroom$961
3-Bedroom$1,337
4-Bedroom$1,382

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$72,454
$6,038/mo
Home Price / Income
2.2x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.6%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

The typical mortgage-free owner in Dixon County is billed $1,500 to $1,999 annually, rather more than a single month of median two-bedroom rent nationally, the level at which buyers start budgeting the tax as its own line rather than folding it into escrow.

Dixon County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Douglas County
Home: $266,100 Tax: $4,507/yr
Lancaster County
Home: $275,200 Tax: $4,204/yr
Sarpy County
Home: $314,100 Tax: $5,473/yr
Hall County
Home: $224,600 Tax: $3,120/yr
Buffalo County
Home: $246,400 Tax: $3,555/yr
Scotts Bluff County
Home: $168,500 Tax: $2,495/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Dixon County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $961/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $716/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dixon County, Nebraska? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Dixon County (about $29/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Dixon County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $72,454 household here can afford up to $217,362, which comfortably covers this county's $155,900 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Dixon County? ▼
$155,900, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 1.20% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Dixon County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 7.9% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Dixon County compare to other Nebraska counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 93 Nebraska counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Dixon County lands at spot 46, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/nebraska">Nebraska state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →