Rents are 3% below what Omaha's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,389 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Omaha usually run 0.9% below trend in December and 0.8% above it in July, about $24 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Omaha is 0% below its high of $1,389 in August 2026, at $1,389 as of September 2026.
Rent in Omaha changed +2.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 11 Nebraska cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.2%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Omaha rose 34.5% while median household income rose 21.8% ($60,092 to $73,201). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Omaha is 39.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
30% of the median household income ($73,201) is $1,830 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,380); a 3-bedroom is $1,833.
The priciest of 24 ZIP codes in Omaha, 68135 ($1,978/mo), costs 1.9 times the cheapest, 68134 ($1,033/mo).
Fremont, 25 miles away, rents for 13% less ($1,213/mo), about $2,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Omaha. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Omaha, NE is majority owner-occupied, 40.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Omaha, NE has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Omaha, NE has shifted from $1,043 to $1,389, up 33.2% since 2021. On the earnings side, the typical household in Omaha, NE now reports about $73,201, up from $65,359 in 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Omaha, NE reflects that arc in its own way.
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At $1,389/mo, how Omaha rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Omaha rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Omaha. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Omaha
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Omaha is $1,389/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,082/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,380/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,151/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,833/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($73,201/yr), Omaha ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $1,389/mo, rent takes ~23% of Omaha's median household income ($73,201/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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