Taxes in Seward
Seward's tax picture combines a genuinely favorable city property tax rate with Nebraska's real, statewide graduated income tax structure.
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Learn moreA genuinely favorable city property tax rate
Seward's own city effective property tax rate ran approximately 1.14% per Ownwell -- below both Seward County's rate (~1.59%) and the Nebraska statewide median cited alongside it (~1.39%), though still above the national median (~1.02%).
Nebraska's real, phasing-down income tax
Nebraska's 2026 individual income tax tops out at a real 4.55% top rate -- down from 5.20% in 2025 under a legislated multi-year phase-down (LB 754, 2023) continuing toward a scheduled 3.99% flat rate in 2027.
Real Social Security and military retirement exemptions
Nebraska fully exempts Social Security benefits (since tax year 2024) and military retirement income, though other retirement income (pensions, IRA/401(k) distributions) remains fully taxable.
Key takeaways
- Seward's own city property tax rate (~1.14%) runs below the Nebraska statewide median (~1.39%).
- Nebraska's 2026 top income tax rate is 4.55%, phasing down toward 3.99% flat by 2027.
- Social Security and military retirement income are both fully exempt from Nebraska state tax.
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