Real Estate Investing in Wood River, Nebraska (68883)

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

Hall County • Population: 2,486 • Data updated: September 2026

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Should you buy in 68883 (Wood River, NE)? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
MIXED
Grade C (66/100)

Mixed signals — some positives, some negatives. Worth considering but not a slam-dunk.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (47/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
1 flag
  • Elevated vacancy: 10.2% vacancy may signal weakening demand.

• Modeled rent — no observed market rent for this ZIP; the figure is estimated from HUD fair-market rent.

What’s happening in Wood River, NE (68883)?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Overall investment appeal

3.0/ 5

Appreciation

Long-term value growth

3.0/ 5

Cashflow ROI

Rental yield potential

Avg Home Value $267,695
Avg Monthly Rent $1,089
1% Rule ✗ Does Not Meet
Median Income $77,115
% Renters 19.4%

Market Analysis: 68883 Wood River

ZIP 68883 in Wood River, NE carries a healthy set of headwinds. Home values near $268K and rents of $1,089/mo sit inside a market where underwriting has to be tight.

The 68883 ZIP can work — but only with a tight operating hand. Remote landlords and passive investors tend to struggle here more than the underwriting suggests.

Within NE, ZIP 68883 trails on several market indicators that neighboring Hall County submarkets outperform. The gap is real and impressive enough to shape underwriting.

Resident income in 68883 sits below the county median. That reality colors rent collection, vacancy, and reinvestment math in ways that outside investors often underestimate.

Strategically, 68883 can be a high-return sleeve of a diversified portfolio — but it should not be the whole portfolio, and it should not be someone's first deal.

Explore the Data — Click a Tab Below
🏦 Current 30-yr Fixed Mortgage Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS

Here's what matters if you're considering buying a home in Wood River:

B Good
Buy Confidence Score: 70/100
Affordability
20/25
Appreciation
22/25
Stability
7/20
Timing
6/15
Rental backup
15/15
Affordability
Moderate
Homes cost 3.5× the median income
Value Trend
Rising (+5.4%)
How home values changed in the past year
Rental Backup
Strong
Could rent for $1,089/mo if you need to move
Market Conditions
WARM
Seller-favorable conditions, steady activity
Bottom Line: Mixed signals in this market. Research specific properties carefully and be prepared to negotiate.
☀️
WARM MARKET
Grand Island, NE Metro Area
Seller-favorable conditions, steady activity
0 days
Average time to sell
Very Fast
7.0%
Listings with price cuts
Few Cuts
0.0%
Sale price vs asking
Below Ask
0.0%
Income needed for mortgage
Affordable
📅 Market conditions as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly from Grand Island, NE metro data
🏠

Property Strategy for 68883

Which property type performs best in this market?

Best for Cash Flow
4BR
5.2% cap rate
Best for Appreciation
3BR
+7.4% 5yr CAGR
Best Overall Value
4BR
$69,133/bedroom
📊 Compare All Property Types →
Type Median Value Est. Rent Cap Rate 5yr CAGR $/Bedroom
2BR $203,374 $1,210 4.3% +6.6% $101,687
3BR $274,146 $1,530 4.0% +7.4% $91,382
4BR $276,534 $1,980 5.2% $69,133

Market Trends

Home Value History (with trend line)

$280K$245K$211K$176K$142K$107KJul 2006Jul 2016Jul 2026

📊 How Does 68883 Compare?

Metric 68883 Wood River Grand Island, NE Nebraska
Home Value $267,695 $267,695 N/A $269,423
5-Year CAGR 5.0% 5.0% N/A 6.7%
Avg Rent $1,089 $1,089 N/A -
Cap Rate 3.2% 3.2% - -
💡 Why Invest in 68883? Click to expand

With a 3/5 investability rating, this ZIP shows solid fundamentals for buy-and-hold investors.

📊 See where this ZIP ranks in our Best-of lists →
A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in ZIP 68883 (Wood River, NE). Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Investability
Good
Cap Rate
3.2%
Low
5yr Growth
+5.0%
Moderate

📉 Market Crash Risk Index

Based on Grand Island, NE metro

0/10
Low Risk
Price YoY
0/3
N/A
Rent YoY
0/2
N/A
Below List
0/3
0%
Days Pending
0/2
0 days

View all metro crash risk rankings →

📊 Market Snapshot

Home Value $267,695
Monthly Rent $1,089
Price-to-Rent 20.5:1
1% Rule ✗ Fails

💰 Return Metrics

Gross Yield 4.9%
Cap Rate 3.2%
5-Year IRR 8.2%

📈 Home Appreciation

1-Year +5.4% ▲
3-Year CAGR +4.2% ▲
5-Year CAGR +5.0% ▲
10-Year CAGR +5.9% ▲

🏠 Rent Trends

1-Year N/A
3-Year CAGR N/A
5-Year CAGR N/A
Negative Leverage — IRR / Tax Play Cap Rate: 3.2%  |  30yr Rate: 6.8%
Leverage reduces cash returns at current rates.

The current 30-yr mortgage rate (6.8%) exceeds the estimated cap rate (3.2%). Financing reduces your cash-on-cash return below the cap rate. Markets like this may still make sense as IRR plays — factoring in appreciation, depreciation, and a future refinance when rates drop.

Run an IRR Analysis →

⚠️ Risk Signals

Composite view of factors that can impact a ZIP's stability and your downside risk.

Vacancy
10.2%
Moderate risk
Landlord Climate
5.0/5
Friendly
Value Trend (5yr)
+5.0%
Stable
Eviction process: Fast Rent control: Favorable

Demographics in 68883

Population: 2,486

💰 Median Household Income
$77,115
This area
$77,115
State
$70,851
USA
$74,580
🏠 Renter Occupied
19.4%
This area
19.4%
State
22.7%
USA
34.0%
💼 Unemployment Rate
2.6%
This area
2.6%
State
-5.2%
USA
3.7%
🎓 College Educated
23.1%
This area
23.1%
State
15.7%
USA
33.7%
👤 Median Age
39.0 years
This area
39.0 years
State
33.1 years
USA
38.9 years
🏚️ Vacancy Rate
10.2%
This area
10.2%
State
15.6%
USA
10.5%
👥 Population by Ethnicity
White 89.1%
Other/Mixed 10.8%
Hispanic/Latino 8.5%
👶 Under 18
25.6%
This area
25.6%
USA
22.0%
👴 65 and Over
18.0%
This area
18.0%
USA
17.3%
📊 Poverty Rate
7.0%
This area
7.0%
USA
11.5%

Crime & Safety

🚧

Crime & Safety Data Coming Soon

We're integrating comprehensive crime statistics including violent crime rates, property crime, and safety scores to help you make informed investment decisions.

Expected: Q1 2025

🎓 Schools in 68883

A+ Avg School Grade
3 Schools
10.4:1 Avg Class Size
$20,952 Avg Per Pupil

Schools in This ZIP Code

A+ Excellent

WOOD RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
220 Students
👨‍🏫
9.7:1 Class Size
💰
$20,952 Per Student
A+ Excellent

WOOD RIVER RURAL HIGH SCHOOL

📚 09 – 12 High School
👥
161 Students
👨‍🏫
9.8:1 Class Size
💰
$20,952 Per Student
A+ Excellent

WOOD RIVER RURAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

📚 06 – 08 Middle
👥
109 Students
👨‍🏫
11.8:1 Class Size
💰
$20,952 Per Student
About Repit School Scores

Traditional school ratings rely heavily on standardized test scores, which often reflect family income more than school quality. Repit takes a different approach.

We evaluate schools based on factors that research shows actually impact educational outcomes:

  • Class Size — Smaller classes mean more individual attention
  • School Funding — Resources available for programs, staff, and facilities
  • Community Factors — Neighborhood characteristics that influence student success
  • School Environment — Size, type, and structure

Scores are updated annually using federal education data.

🎓 Nearby Colleges & Universities

1 Nearby 1,674 Off-Campus Students
C+
Central Community College
6,862 students · 12.2 mi

Investor Insight: With 1,674 students living off-campus nearby, this area has strong rental demand from the college population.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do rentals sit vacant long in Wood River, NE?

Expect elevated vacancy in Wood River, NE. Rents at $1,089/mo are absorbed by the tenant base without meaningful lag.

Is Wood River, NE better for rentals, flips, or BRRRR?

For Wood River, NE, careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management is the standard investor playbook. The market structure makes it a reasonable default approach.

How strong are rents in Wood River, NE?

The typical rental in Wood River, NE commands about $1,089/mo monthly. That rent profile even-keeled cash flow against the $268K purchase basis.

Is the tenant base reliable in Wood River, NE?

Tenant demand in Wood River, NE is solid. The local workforce $1,089/mo rents across most rental classes.

How does Wood River, NE stack up for property investment?

Wood River, NE reflects an investability rating of 3.0/5, with median home values near $268K and average rents around $1,089/mo. That combination puts it in the healthy tier for investor interest.

You know 68883 now. You don’t know where it ranks.

This page stays free — all of it. What one page can’t tell you is how 68883 compares to every other market. Investor ($19/mo) screens every U.S. ZIP by cap rate, the 1% rule, vacancy and landlord climate, and exports your shortlist.

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How 68883 ranks in Grand Island, NE

Every ZIP in this metro, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable →
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