It’s about more than pay

Recently, Douglas County Assessor Trent Tholen released his report on real estate trends for the third quarter of 2022.

That report indicated the average sales price of a home in the East Fork Township was a record $786,735, with the median price of $629,320.

To put that in perspective, both those numbers are more than twice what the Assessor’s Office was reporting in 2015.

Only 174 homes sold during the quarter, the lowest number for the three months between July 1 and Sept. 30 since 2010, the middle of the Great Recession. The houses are getting a little bigger, but the dip in sales might be an indication of the market finally softening a little.

Even with a $150,000 down payment that’s a roughly $3,500 monthly payment with a 5.5-5.75-percent interest rate.

That puts most housing in Douglas County out of reach for anyone starting out with any of the government agencies, whether the sheriff’s office, or the school or fire districts.

There are some apartments in Douglas County but not very many, which means renters have to scramble to catch something local or spend just under $5 a gallon for gas to get from where they could find a place to where they work.

We support our deputies, firefighters and teachers and know that things aren’t getting any easier economically for the jobs we need them to do for our community.

We join our voice to those of our readers who have called for commissioners to find a means to give deputies what they need, just as other organizations must find a way to keep their frontline workers.

As our community continues to age, so do the folks we’ve relied on for decades, who were able to get their footing before prices shot through the roof.

That means we need new people to take the place of the many retirees who leave, and it’s even better if those folks can live here, too.