Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Oakland costs less to live in than 89% of U.S. towns
Up 1.8% in a year, 28% below the Nebraska typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Burt County, NE ($64K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Burt County earn ($64K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.4 years of area income, and 40% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $200Ktypical home, 28% below the Nebraska typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $960a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$64K, Burt County income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 12%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Oakland
Values rose faster than Nebraska’s over five years
The typical Oakland home is up 45% in five years, against 26% across Nebraska. Since October 2016 it has about doubled, from $89K to $200K. Price trend ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Oakland’s homes were built before 1950, against 1975 for Nebraska as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Oakland’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Oakland is more affordable than 89% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have outpaced Nebraska: the typical Oakland home is up 44.9% in five years, against 26.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 44.9% in five years
Faster than Nebraska (26.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Oakland | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $91,000 | $155,000 |
| 2018 | $98,000 | $165,000 |
| 2019 | $108,000 | $174,000 |
| 2020 | $112,000 | $185,000 |
| 2021 | $127,000 | $203,000 |
| 2022 | $143,000 | $225,000 |
| 2023 | $162,000 | $245,000 |
| 2024 | $170,000 | $257,000 |
| 2025 | $189,000 | $267,000 |
| 2026 | $201,000 | $275,000 |
| September 2026 | $200,000 | $278,000 |
A typical Oakland home worth $89K in October 2016 is worth about $200K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Oakland’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Oakland home, with $33K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $960 a month here, $320 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Oakland’s typical property tax (1.40% 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 $720, 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 (Burt County, NE): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
3 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in Oakland in 2025, all single-family houses. That's 1.9 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Nebraska (5.7). Over the past 10 years, Oakland has permitted 7 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Oakland gained 125 residents while 9 new homes were permitted: about 14 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Nebraska: 1.8 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 3 | 3 | 0 | $750,000 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $750,000 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $467,000 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $467,000 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $680,000 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $250,000 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $794,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $590,000 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $190,000 |
| 2006 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $480,000 |
| 2005 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $710,000 |
| 2004 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $315,000 |
| 2003 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $205,000 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $135,000 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $164,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Nebraska norm
The median bill is $2,130 (Nebraska: $3,549), 1.40% of a home’s value 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+”.
Oakland and its neighbors
One source per column.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | A | $200K | $152K | 1.40% | $960 |
Questions about the cost of living in Oakland
Is Oakland expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Oakland costs less than 89% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.4 years of the median household income of Burt County, NE ($64K).
How much does a house cost in Oakland?
About $200K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.8% in a year. The Nebraska typical home is $278K.
What salary do you need to live in Oakland?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $55,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,280 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 Oakland?
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 $720 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Oakland?
The median bill is $2,130 a year, 1.40% of the median home value (Nebraska: $3,549, 1.49%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Oakland going up?
Yes: up 1.8% in the past year and 44.9% in five years, against 26.1% across Nebraska (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Oakland 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. 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.