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City · 7,678 residents · Seward County, Nebraska

Seward , Nebraska

In Seward, a typical home is worth $244,600 and typical rent is $1,018 a month. Compared with all of Seward County, typical household income is 12% lower and the share of households that own their home is 11 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $244,600

    About the same as the county

    3% above Nebraska

    • Seward
    • County
    • Nebraska

  • Typical rent

    $1,018a month

    4% above the county

    5% below Nebraska

    • Seward
    • County
    • Nebraska

  • Typical household income

    $72,564a year

    12% below the county

    5% below Nebraska

    • Seward
    • County
    • Nebraska

  • Households that own their home

    61%

    11 points below the county

    6 points below Nebraska

    • Seward
    • County
    • Nebraska

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$314,744
6.5% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Seward is in Seward County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Seward County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Seward apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Schuyler, the typical home value is $145,700: 40% less than in Seward ($244,600).

  2. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Seward rose 6.5%; in Nebraska, it rose 3%.

  3. Nearby, in York, the typical rent is $862: 15% less than in Seward ($1,018).

  4. 61% of households in Seward own their home, against 72% in Seward County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Seward

What homes there are in Seward, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses are the majority in Seward (69%), but less so than in Seward County (81%).

Year built

The typical home in Seward was built in 1977, 7 years after the typical one in Seward County.

There are fewer big homes in Seward than in Seward County: 58% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 66%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,670 a month

Seward County: $1,618 a month

Without a mortgage

$700 a month

Seward County: $658 a month

Owners with a mortgage

55%

Seward County: 55%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Seward is $1,670 a month, near the figure in Seward County ($1,618).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Seward rose 54% since 2015–2019, more than in Seward County (44%).

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Seward rose 43%, more than in Seward County (35%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSewardSeward CountyNebraskaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate4.3%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.6%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2.1%3.4%
People per household 2.432.412.422.53
Drive alone 75%79%76%69%
Carpool 8%8%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike 10%6%3%3%
Work from home 6%7%11%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

A household in Seward has 2.43 people on average, about the same as in Seward County (2.41).

Many here get to work on foot or by bike: 10%, more than in Seward County (6%).

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Seward?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Seward, worth $244,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 35% of the typical household income in Seward, which is $72,564 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $90,264 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Seward County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Seward. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $8,561 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,106

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$240,170
Total interest
$345,548
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,131 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,693 a month

  • Tight

    $1,693 to $2,177 a month

    Your payment · 35%

  • Hard

    more than $2,177 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Seward ($72,564 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,106
Principal & interest$1,627
Property tax$269
Home insurance$102
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$108

You need at least $8,561 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Seward and Seward County

Seward is in Seward County, Nebraska. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Seward's own numbers

Typical home value
$244,600
Typical monthly rent
$1,018
Typical yearly household income
$72,564
Households that own their home
61%
Effective property tax rate
1.32%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Seward County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,055
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+47%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.2%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Seward County.

Everything about Seward County

Buying

Buying a home in Seward

A typical home in Seward is worth $244,600: about the same as the county and 3% above Nebraska. With the typical household income in Seward ($72,564 a year), a typical home costs 3.4 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Seward 3.4 years
  • County 2.9 years
  • Nebraska 3.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Seward County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Seward County rose 82% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Seward County.

Period County Nebraska U.S.
Last year (2025) +0.6% +3.3% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +47% +49% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +82% +87% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Seward next to Seward County, Nebraska and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Seward $244,600
  • County $241,300
  • Nebraska $238,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Seward $1,018
  • County $980
  • Nebraska $1,072
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Seward $72,564
  • County $82,444
  • Nebraska $76,475
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Seward next to Seward County and Nebraska
Measure Seward Seward County Nebraska U.S.
Typical home value $244,600 $241,300 $238,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,018 $980 $1,072 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $72,564 $82,444 $76,475 $80,734
Households that own their home 61% 72% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,219 $2,850 $3,549 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.32% 1.18% 1.49% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 47% 37% 45% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Seward County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Seward

For a typical $244,600 home in Seward, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Seward's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,106a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $8,561
    Cash to close
    $15,899
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $108

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,061a month

    Down payment
    $12,230
    Cash to close
    $19,568
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $116

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,697a month

    Down payment
    $48,920
    Cash to close
    $56,258
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,923a month

    Down payment
    $36,690
    Cash to close
    $44,028
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Seward and for Seward County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Seward

1.32%of the home’s value each year

$3,219 a year for the typical owner in Seward.

  • Seward 1.32%
  • County 1.18%
  • Nebraska 1.49%

What Nebraska publishes Homestead exemption for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans (Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division)

Exemptions and deadlines in Nebraska

Flood risk in Seward County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Seward County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.2%
201
Of those, with NFIP insurance
6.5%
County Nebraska U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.2% 3.5% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 6.5% 15% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Seward

Typical rent in Seward is $1,018 a month: 4% above the county. In Seward, 47% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Seward County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,055 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.29 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Seward County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $820 $15.77 $32,800
1 bedroom $830 $15.96 $33,200
2 bedrooms $1,055 $20.29 $42,200
3 bedrooms $1,461 $28.10 $58,440
4 bedrooms $1,728 $33.23 $69,120

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Seward

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Seward is in ZIP code 68434.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,080: $25 more than the fair market rent for Seward County ($1,055).

  • 68434 $1,080$1,500

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Seward when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Seward

HUD lists 5 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Seward. These are the largest.

  • Seward Manor I 1030 Manor Dr W, Seward 68434 58 low-income homes · For older adults (402) 643-3472
  • Fox Run Apts 700 S Columbia Ave, Seward 68434 24 low-income homes · In service since 1990
  • Village at Heartland Park 450 Graham Park Dr, Seward 68434 16 low-income homes · 2 bd: 16 · In service since 2003 · For older adults
  • Village at Heartland Park II 418 Village Cir, Seward 68434 16 low-income homes · In service since 2011
  • Graham Park Estates 568 Graham Park Dr, Seward 68434 11 homes, 9 low-income · 3 bd: 8 · 4 bd: 3 · In service since 2015

See all 6 buildings in Seward County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Seward

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Seward County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Seward

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Seward or Seward County. The ones below are statewide in Nebraska: they work in Seward the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Nebraska

  • Homebuyer Assistance (HBA) Program

    Statewide in Nebraska

    Nebraska state authority program for first-time buyers: a NIFA mortgage plus a second mortgage of up to 5% of the price at 1%, over 10 years, for the down payment and closing costs. Offered by Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • Welcome Home Assistance (WHA)

    Statewide in Nebraska

    Nebraska state authority option that adds a second loan for the down payment and closing costs to the Welcome Home mortgage, for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before; the page does not state the amount. Offered by Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA).

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Seward

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Seward, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Neighborhoods, Inc. DBA Neighborworks Lincoln

    2530 Q St, Lincoln · 22 miles away

    • Workshops for new owners
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (402) 477-7181

  • Blue Valley Community Action Partnership

    620 5th St, Fairbury · 54 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (402) 729-2278

  • Credit Advisors Foundation

    1818 S 72nd St, Omaha · 60 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Korean and other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 9 more
    (402) 514-3340

All counseling agencies in Nebraska

Help in Spanish near Seward

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Seward

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Seward County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in Nebraska Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Seward, with the typical home value.

Everything about Seward County Housing in Nebraska

Neighboring counties

If Seward County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Seward.

All guides
A smiling girl holds up a small mushroom she found on a forest outing.

Questions

Housing questions about Seward

Short answers with the numbers for Seward and all of Seward County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Seward?

The typical home value in Seward is $244,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Seward County it is $241,300.

How much does it cost to rent in Seward?

Typical rent in Seward is $1,018 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Seward County is $1,055.

What is the FHA loan limit in Seward?

Seward uses the FHA limit for all of Seward County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Seward?

The typical homeowner in Seward pays $3,219 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.32% of the home’s value; in Seward County, the rate is 1.18%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Seward?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Seward County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).