Property Taxes in Nebraska
Nebraska's property tax runs genuinely high relative to the national average -- a statewide effective rate clustering around 1.50% (real cross-source range 1.42%-1.61%), consistently among the seven to twelve highest-property-tax states nationally -- a real, defining relocation fact this record does not undersell, alongside real but genuinely incomplete state relief legislation.
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Learn moreNebraska's statewide effective rate, and its real cross-source range
This pass's 2026 cross-source research found Nebraska's statewide effective property tax rate spread across approximately 1.42% (SmartAsset) to 1.50% (propertytaxrates.org) to 1.58%-1.61% (Tax-Foundation-style figures cited elsewhere). This record anchors at 1.50% while disclosing that spread honestly -- genuinely among the higher-property-tax states in the country by every figure in the range, roughly 65% above the approximately 0.91% national average by some measures.
County-level variation is real and substantial, within an already-high statewide picture
This pass's research found effective rates ranging from approximately 0.45% in rural Keya Paha County up to 1.75%-2.11% in Douglas County (Omaha's home county, Nebraska's highest), with Douglas County's own median annual bill running $4,295 and Lancaster County's (Lincoln's home county) median bill running $3,364 -- both well above the statewide median of approximately $3,350 and the national median of roughly $2,400. Confirm the specific combined county/municipal rate for any target property directly.
Real, ongoing relief legislation, disclosed with its actual current mechanics
Nebraska's property-tax-relief story is genuinely a multi-year, incremental one. 2024's special legislative session passed LB 34, the School District Property Tax Relief Act, which frontloads a 30% credit against school district property taxes directly onto each taxpayer's statement -- funded at $750 million for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $780 million for fiscal year 2026-2027, with a legislated minimum of $808 million in relief for 2026 and a required 3% annual growth in the funded amount. Nebraska's 2026 regular session added LB 803, expanding the state's 'Truth in Taxation' framework (earlier public budget hearings, tighter limits on property-tax-collection growth), while falling short of the more sweeping structural reform some lawmakers and advocacy groups sought -- a genuinely incomplete, still-unfolding status this record discloses honestly.
What this means for a buyer, renter, or retiree
A prospective mover should confirm the specific effective rate for any target address directly rather than relying on a statewide figure alone. Nebraska's high property tax sits alongside a falling four-bracket income tax (4.55% for 2026, heading to 3.99% in 2027) and a full exemption of Social Security and military retirement income -- see the income-taxes topic for the fuller retiree-relevant picture.
Key takeaways
- Nebraska's statewide effective property tax rate clusters around 1.50% (range 1.42%-1.61%), consistently among the 7-12 highest-property-tax states nationally.
- County-level rates range from approximately 0.45% in rural Keya Paha County to 1.75%-2.11% in Douglas County (Omaha), which carries a $4,295 median annual bill versus Lancaster County's (Lincoln) $3,364.
- The statewide median annual property tax bill runs approximately $3,350, well above the roughly $2,400 national median.
- 2024's LB 34 (a frontloaded 30% school-tax credit) and 2026's LB 803 (Truth in Taxation expansion) mark real relief progress, but this record discloses that relief as genuinely incomplete.
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