Nemaha County Assessor Explains 2026 Property Valuation Changes

More than 5,500 property owners in Nemaha County received change of valuation notices starting June 1 this year as county officials updated property values to reflect current market conditions.
Nemaha County Assessor Mallory Lempka said the county has about 6,700 parcels, and notices are mailed annually to owners whose property value has changed from the previous year.
State law requires Nebraska counties to value residential and commercial property at 100% of market value and agricultural land at 75% of market value. County assessors also must inspect every property at least once every six years while reviewing values annually.
This year’s assessment changes varied by property type and location. Commercial buildings, except those in Peru, received a 15% increase in structure values. Peru commercial properties received the same adjustment in 2025, so no additional increase was applied this year.
In Auburn, two residential neighborhoods that fell outside the state’s required valuation range received a 10% increase in improvement values. Rural residential properties saw the value of the first homesite acre increase from $30,000 to $35,000.
Several classes of agricultural land, including grassland, irrigated and dry cropland, also increased in value after the county updated irrigation and well records using information from the Nemaha Natural Resources District.
The assessor’s office also created a new recreational land classification to distinguish hunting and recreational properties from agricultural timberland. Recreational land is valued at $3,500 per acre, while agricultural timberland is valued at $1,040 per acre. Agricultural timber values apply only to wooded areas that are part of an actively farmed agricultural parcel.
Lempka said property values are determined through annual sales studies and statistical analysis. Counties use median assessment ratios, the relationship between assessed values and actual sales prices, to ensure property classes remain within state-required ranges. Additional measures, including the coefficient of dispersion and price-related differential, help assess the consistency and fairness of valuations.
Lempka emphasized that the valuation protest process is intended to address property value concerns, not tax bills.
“The job of a county assessor is to value property at market value based on property sales; it is not to increase taxes,” she said.
Property owners are encouraged to review their online property record cards, viewable online and in the assessor’s office, for accuracy and contact the assessor’s office if they believe information about their property is incorrect. Additional information about assessment actions and the valuation process is available on the Nemaha County Assessor’s website.