Gering Courier Building · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Gering costs less to live in than 54% of U.S. towns
It ranks #33 of 57 in Nebraska for affordability. Up 2.3% in a year, 23% below the Nebraska typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Scottsbluff, NE micro area ($64K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Scottsbluff-area micro earn ($64K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.9 years of area income, and 48% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $214Ktypical home, 23% below the Nebraska typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $960a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$64K, Scottsbluff-area income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 48%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Nebraska: 45%Census 2020–24
- 15%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Gering
What’s behind Gering’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Gering is more affordable than 54% of U.S. towns, #33 of 57 in Nebraska. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Nebraska: up 30.2% in five years, against 26.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 30.2% in five years
Faster than Nebraska (26.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Gering | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $131,000 | $155,000 |
| 2018 | $136,000 | $165,000 |
| 2019 | $138,000 | $174,000 |
| 2020 | $144,000 | $185,000 |
| 2021 | $153,000 | $203,000 |
| 2022 | $165,000 | $225,000 |
| 2023 | $180,000 | $245,000 |
| 2024 | $189,000 | $257,000 |
| 2025 | $202,000 | $267,000 |
| 2026 | $211,000 | $275,000 |
| September 2026 | $214,000 | $278,000 |
A typical Gering home worth $131K in October 2016 is worth about $214K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 6 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A year’s rent takes 15% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Gering’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Gering home, with $14K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960 a month here, $440 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Gering’s typical property tax (1.58% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960
Renters already here pay a median of $823, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Banner County, NE): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
5 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 5 new homes in Gering in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.4 million to build. That's 0.6 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Nebraska (5.7). Over the past 10 years, Gering has permitted 57 homes in all.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 7 | 7 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2024 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $8 million |
| 2023 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2022 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $6.9 million |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 10 | 0 | 10 | $785,000 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,955, under the Nebraska median of $3,549, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.58% a year, against 1.49% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Gering vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, Gering has the 2nd-lowest. Terrytown has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gering | B− | $214K | $187K | 1.58% | $960 |
| Terrytown | A− | — | $114K | 2.09% | $960 |
| Scottsbluff | B− | $186K | $138K | 1.54% | $1,020 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Gering
Is Gering expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Gering costs less than 54% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #33 of 57 in Nebraska. The typical home costs 2.9 years of the median household income of the Scottsbluff, NE micro area ($64K).
How much does a house cost in Gering?
About $214K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.2% in a year. The Nebraska typical home is $278K.
What salary do you need to live in Gering?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $60,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,400 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $38,000.
How much is rent in Gering?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $960 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $823 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Gering?
The median bill is $2,955 a year, 1.58% of the median home value (Nebraska: $3,549, 1.49%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Gering going up?
Yes: up 2.2% in the past year and 30.2% in five years, against 26.1% across Nebraska (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Gering buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.