County FMR · HUD FY2026
Butler County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Butler County, NE - 24% below the US average.
- $732
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $961
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +4.9%
- YoY change
- -24%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Butler is the 11th cheapest of 93 counties in Nebraska by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #882 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #882
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #11
- cheapest of 93 in Nebraska (2BR)
- -7%
- vs the state average
- $29,280
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.5%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (31.6%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Butler County, NE. Verify with HUD →
Butler County, Nebraska carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $732 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $961/mo and a studio is $666/mo. That's 24% below the national benchmark of $959 and 7% below the Nebraska average of $791.
Rent increased4.9% from FY 2025 ($698), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,280/year.
Observed renter burden: 23.8% of the 697 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Nebraska. Population: 8,373. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.3%, Census ACS). That's in line with Nebraska's statewide growth of +3.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BUTLER·COUNTY·NE·NE
Butler County, NE: $732/mo 1BR · #882 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA NE
- 1BR-FMR $732
- 2BR-FMR $961
- RANK-MID #882
- YOY-UP +4.9%
- VSUS-BELOW -24%
- VS-ST-NEAR -7% NE
- INC-ROOM 11%
- POP-SMALL 8K
- PHOTO-NEAR Douglas County
- VOUCH-90-110 $659–$805
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Douglas ($416 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $622 | $666 | +$44 (+7.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $698 | $732 | +$34 (+4.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $907 | $961 | +$54 (+6.0%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,198 | $1,268 | +$70 (+5.8%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,203 | $1,272 | +$69 (+5.7%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Butler County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Butler sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$961 higher than 28% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Butler compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Nebraska counties
- Douglas
Douglas County
$1,148 1BR FMR / mo
- Sarpy
Sarpy County
$1,148 1BR FMR / mo
- Hall
Hall County
$978 1BR FMR / mo
- Lancaster
Lancaster County
$926 1BR FMR / mo
- Buffalo
Buffalo County
$863 1BR FMR / mo
- Dodge
Dodge County
$861 1BR FMR / mo
- Butler
Butler County
$732 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Butler is highlighted. Nearby Nebraska counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Douglas County ($1,148), Sarpy County ($1,148), Hall County ($978), Lancaster County ($926), Buffalo County ($863), Dodge County ($861), Butler County (this county) ($732).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $732/mo, most of these Nebraska occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | NE Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $116,420 | 7.5% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $82,570 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $81,020 | 10.8% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $72,160 | 12.2% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $69,980 | 12.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $61,700 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $61,410 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $60,020 | 14.6% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $57,940 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $41,400 | 21.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,790 | 21.5% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $35,820 | 24.5% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,350 | 28.9% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $29,420 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $27,840 | 31.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Butler County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Butler (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 36.6% overall, from $536 to $732. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +16.2% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑4.9% | $666 | $732 | $961 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.7% | $622 | $698 | $907 |
| FY 2024 ↓0.1% | $591 | $693 | $872 |
| FY 2023 ↑16.2% | $577 | $694 | $849 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.5% | $515 | $597 | $770 |
| FY 2021 ↑7.6% | $502 | $577 | $761 |
| FY 2020 | $460 | $536 | $706 |
Where Butler County Ranks in Nebraska
Butler County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #11 of 93 counties in Nebraska. Nearest by rank: Arthur County ($961), Banner County ($961), Blaine County ($961), Boone County ($961), Box Butte County ($961), Boyd County ($961), Brown County ($961), Burt County ($961), Butler County (this county) ($961), Cedar County ($961), Chase County ($961), Clay County ($961), Cuming County ($961), Custer County ($961), Deuel County ($961), Dixon County ($961), Dundy County ($961).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Butler County, both outside Nebraska so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside NE (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside NE).
Nearby Counties in Nebraska
Largest counties by population in Nebraska
Showing the 8 largest of 92 other counties in Nebraska.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Butler County? ▼
How does Butler County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Butler County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Butler County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Butler County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Butler County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Butler County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Butler County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Butler County? ▼
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.