Grand Island, NE — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Nebraska·Grand Island

Hall County · Grand Island · population 53,250

First-time buyers
Grand Island, NE
Image: Wikipedia · Grand Island, Nebraska
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Grand Island stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $254,245
1-year +2.0%
5-yr CAGR +6.1%
vs 5-yr peak -0.3%
Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-12$254k$131k$176k$220k$265k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,277/mo$1,108$1,233$1,35820242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10610810020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.6
Lean buy

At a 16.6 price-to-rent ratio, Grand Island is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
60 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
46 · w16%
Rent YoY
52 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Grand Island has held up across the cycle: home values at $254,245 with +6.1% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Grand Island's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Grand Island

Grand Island is a city in Hall County, Nebraska, with an estimated population of 53,250. The median home value in Grand Island is $254,245 as of 2026-04, up 2.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Grand Island average $1,277 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.0%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Grand Island (Wikipedia)

Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 53,131 at the 2020 census, making it the 4th most populous city in Nebraska. Grand Island is the principal city of the Grand Island metropolitan area, which consists of Hall, Merrick, and Howard counties. The Grand Island metropolitan area has an official population of 83,472 residents.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorRoger Steele
Area30.28 sq mi
Elevation1870 ft
NicknameLa Grande Ile
Density1765.97/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Hall County right now.

NWS active alerts (NE)Nebraska Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Hall County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Grand Island

Bellevue, NE69 · RisingLa Vista, NE68 · RisingScottsbluff, NE67 · RisingHastings, NE68 · Rising

Run the numbers for Grand Island

ToolCan I afford Grand Island?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Grand Island rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Grand Island to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolGrand Island cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 14°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
86° / 63°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
221
~61% of year
Annual precip
23″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Grand Island listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Grand Island area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$71,700
Nebraska state median
Top industries (state-level)
AgricultureInsurance (Berkshire)Manufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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