Best Places to Live in Nebraska

Off-grid & homestead laws in Nebraska

How Nebraska treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. Scores feed the national rankings; rules often vary by county.

• Building-code freedomState adopts IRC but locals may opt out; counties not required.ICC / NAHB code-adoption summaries (2026) ↗local-option
• Greywater reuseNo residential greywater provision; treated as wastewater.Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer (2026) ↗none
• Rainwater harvestingNo state restrictions.NCSL (2026) ↗unrestricted
• Zoning / land-use freedomPlan required to zone but adoption optional; many rural counties unzoned.American Planning Association / Lincoln Institute (2026) ↗local-control
• Water rightsSurface appropriation + limited riparian; GW reasonable use; domestic exempt.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗hybrid
• Right-to-farm protectionOne-year-established protection.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗moderate
• Cottage-food / home sales$25k cap; 2023 added some refrigerated foods.Institute for Justice / Forrager (2026) ↗limited
• Property tax burdenMedian ~1.3% effective rate across 93 counties.Census ACS (county median) (2023) ↗high
• Income tax burdenTop rate 4.55% in 2026.Tax Foundation (2026) ↗graduated-low
• Homestead exemptionFirst $100k of value exempt (LB152, from Jan 1 2026).Lincoln Institute / state revenue departments (2026) ↗strong

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

All 93 Nebraska counties, ranked

1. 1Blaine County80
2. 2Loup County79
3. 3Logan County78
4. 4Brown County77
5. 5Rock County77
6. 6Hitchcock County77
7. 7Dundy County77
8. 8Keya Paha County76
9. 9Thomas County76
10. 10Grant County76
11. 11Arthur County76
12. 12Hayes County76
13. 13Frontier County76
14. 14Garfield County76
15. 15Hooker County76
16. 16Custer County75
17. 17Richardson County75
18. 18Red Willow County75
19. 19Harlan County75
20. 20Cherry County75
21. 21Perkins County75
22. 22Pawnee County74
23. 23Nuckolls County74
24. 24Deuel County74
25. 25Boyd County74
26. 26Wheeler County74
27. 27Furnas County73
28. 28Sheridan County73
29. 29Garden County73
30. 30Gosper County73
31. 31Dawes County73
32. 32Holt County73
33. 33Chase County73
34. 34Franklin County73
35. 35McPherson County72
36. 36Pierce County72
37. 37Sioux County72
38. 38Keith County72
39. 39Nemaha County72
40. 40Greeley County72
41. 41Dixon County72
42. 42Sherman County71
43. 43Valley County71
44. 44Nance County71
45. 45Johnson County71
46. 46Kimball County71
47. 47Phelps County71
48. 48Box Butte County71
49. 49Howard County70
50. 50Jefferson County70
51. 51Otoe County70
52. 52Webster County70
53. 53Thayer County69
54. 54Morrill County69
55. 55Kearney County69
56. 56Stanton County69
57. 57Wayne County69
58. 58Thurston County69
59. 59Antelope County69
60. 60Polk County68
61. 61Cheyenne County68
62. 62Cedar County68
63. 63Fillmore County68
64. 64Banner County68
65. 65Knox County68
66. 66Merrick County68
67. 67Dawson County67
68. 68Burt County67
69. 69Lincoln County66
70. 70Saline County66
71. 71Gage County66
72. 72Dakota County65
73. 73Butler County65
74. 74Seward County65
75. 75Colfax County65
76. 76Boone County64
77. 77Saunders County64
78. 78Clay County63
79. 79Madison County63
80. 80Cuming County63
81. 81Cass County62
82. 82Buffalo County62
83. 83Hamilton County62
84. 84York County62
85. 85Adams County62
86. 86Washington County61
87. 87Scotts Bluff County60
88. 88Hall County60
89. 89Platte County59
90. 90Dodge County58
91. 91Lancaster County50
92. 92Sarpy County49
93. 93Douglas County45