Apartments for Rent in Nebraska

Nebraska

Although you won't find a lot of large cities in Nebraska, it remains one of the best states around for renting an apartment due to Nebraska's low cost of living. In fact, Nebraska has the fifth lowest cost of living in the U.S. Part of this is due to the lack of large cities; only Omaha and Lincoln have over 250,000 residents. After that, the next largest city is Bellevue, with fewer than 50,000 residents.

It's obvious that Nebraska is a rural state. Most of its income comes from ranching and farming, with cattle ranching and hog farms central to the economy. The success of farming, including wheat, corn and soybeans, is a tribute to American ingenuity. A hundred years ago the state was considered a part of the Great American Desert, but irrigation and scientific farming methods have turned the state into a fertile farming region.

Industries that draw younger people to Nebraska to rent apartments in the few cities include electronic components, auto parts and freight transport (the state is a key location for shipping supplies from East to West by rail and truck).

Outdoor Attractions

Most of Nebraska is Plains and large sections of prairie and meadow, so bird watching and prairie tourism are both popular. The Platte River provides plentiful fishing and boating opportunities.

There are numerous Historical Trails across Nebraska, including the Pony Express and Mormon Pioneer Trails, the Lewis and Clark Trail and the California Historic Trail traveled by those heading to the gold fields of California. All of these are surrounded by picturesque scenery and multiple historic sites for the history buff. You can also find a few old west ghost towns in Nebraska.

Colleges and Universities

The University of Nebraska system has five branch campuses and supports the U. of Nevada Cornhuskers, a football team with an almost cult-like following within the state. There are also three state colleges: Chadron, Peru and Wayne State College. The state has a surprising number of small private colleges for a state with sparse population, including at least six that are affiliated with particular religious denominations.

Real Estate and Housing

Nebraska apartments are inexpensive, starting at about 20-25% below the national average for cities and towns of comparable size. The two most populous cities, Lincoln and Omaha, offer the best selection of Nebraska apartments, and there is no shortage of selection. In fact, the state of Nebraska has a higher percentage of apartment dwellers in their larger cities than in most cities of comparable size elsewhere.

If you're looking for wide-open spaces, land is also surprisingly affordable in Nebraska except in the most obvious farming regions, where land is priced based on potential yield and farming use. However, you can get a Nebraska apartment in one of the many towns ranging in size between 10,000 and 50,000 residents and take advantage of the scenery with just a short drive out of town.