Pierce County

Pierce County, Nebraska sits at a median home price of $252,313 with year-over-year appreciation of 2.48% and an affordability index of 76, which puts it in a reasonably accessible price tier for the state. The data does not include a median rent figure or calculated cap rate for this county, which means the cash-flow score comes in at zero and the cash-on-cash return is listed as zero as well. That's not necessarily a signal that the market is unprofitable, but it does mean you're underwriting largely blind on the income side until you verify local rents directly. What the data does confirm is that the appreciation score of 75 out of 100 is the standout metric here, placing Pierce clearly on the appreciation end of the spectrum rather than the yield end. With a national percentile rank of 77 and an overall score of 68, this is a market that grades out above average nationally but lands at rank 44 out of 90 Nebraska counties, meaning roughly half the state outperforms it on the composite.

Given those numbers, Pierce is not a market for the buyer who needs immediate cash-flow verification from a model. The appreciation score of 75 suggests price growth trajectory is the primary investment thesis, and the 2.48% annual home price gain, while modest in absolute terms, is consistent with a stable smaller market rather than a speculative run. The affordability index of 76 means entry prices are still accessible relative to income, which typically supports continued demand from owner-occupants and renters alike. An appreciation-oriented buy-and-hold investor with a longer time horizon of seven years or more, who can underwrite rents conservatively from local comps rather than relying on modeled figures, is the most natural fit. A strict cash-flow buyer who needs a model-validated spread from day one should look elsewhere in Nebraska until rent data for Pierce is confirmed.

The economic context here warrants caution because no employer or economic anchor data was provided for Pierce County. With a population of 7,301, this is a small rural market, and concentration risk is real in that size tier. Small population bases mean that any single employer contraction, demographic outmigration, or agricultural cycle shift can move vacancy rates and rent ceilings quickly. Without confirmed economic anchor data, you cannot underwrite employment stability with confidence, and the stability score of 50 out of 100 reflects exactly that ambiguity.

Carry costs deserve serious attention here. Nebraska's state-average effective property tax rate is 1.73%, which the data flags as high, and at that rate the annual property tax on a $252,313 purchase comes to approximately $4,365. Combined with estimated annual insurance of $1,463 at a 0.58% rate, you're looking at $486 per month in tax and insurance alone before you touch principal, interest, maintenance, or management. At 6.85% interest on an 80% LTV loan, your mortgage payment on $201,850 financed is in the range of $1,320 per month depending on term. That puts your fixed and semi-fixed monthly carry somewhere around $1,800 before any operating expenses, which is a high bar to clear on rent in a county of 7,300 people. The 1.73% rate is a state-average estimate per Tax Foundation 2024 data, and actual Pierce County or township-level rates may differ, so pull the county assessor's current mill levy before you close. This is not a detail to reconcile after the fact; at this carry level, a difference of 20 to 30 basis points in the actual tax rate moves your monthly cash flow by $40 to $60 and can flip a marginal deal.

The most actionable comparison in the neighbors data is Platte County, Nebraska. Platte carries a median home price of $270,220, a median rent of $1,526.83, and a gross rent-to-price ratio of 0.0678, compared to Pierce where no rent figure is available. If Pierce rents are materially below Platte's, the higher carry costs in Pierce become harder to absorb. Adams County is also worth examining: at a median price of $216,561, a rent of $1,146.25, and a rent-to-price ratio of 0.0635, it offers a lower entry point with a calculable yield. Dodge County comes in at a 0.0597 rent-to-price ratio, which is the weakest yield profile among the neighbors with available data. Washington County, at $383,434, is a different price tier entirely and likely a different buyer profile. Custer County at $166,108 is the lowest-priced neighbor listed, though no rent data is provided there either. If your primary investment thesis in Pierce is appreciation and long-term price growth, the 75 appreciation score gives you a reasonable basis to prefer it over Adams or Dodge on that dimension. But if you need a cash-flow-positive deal from the start, Platte County's combination of verified rent, a 0.0678 gross yield ratio, and a comparable overall score of 68 makes it the stronger starting point until Pierce's rent picture is fully documented.