Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Kearney, NE?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 19.8% of gross income.
Kearney rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Nebraska state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Nebraska cities have lower median rent than Kearney, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Kearney
View full rent data for Kearney, NE →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Kearney, NE?
Median rent in Kearney is $1,451 a month. A typical registered nurse in Nebraska earns about $87,866 a year, which makes that rent 19.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Kearney?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Nebraska (~$87,866/yr) supports up to $2,197 a month in rent. Kearney's current median rent is $1,451/mo, which leaves a $746/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Kearney?
At an hourly equivalent of about $42 an hour, a registered nurse in Nebraska works roughly 34.3 hours a month to cover Kearney's median rent of $1,451.
Where is rent cheaper than Kearney for a registered nurse?
Nearby Nebraska cities with lower median rent include Columbus ($1,447/mo), Omaha ($1,446/mo), La Vista ($1,442/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.