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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Nebraska using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Lincoln comes o…
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $50K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Nebraska using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Lincoln comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
Here's Lincoln by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 94. Rent: $1,293/month. Income: $69,991/year. Home price: $285,359. Population: 294,757. The strongest category is Housing at 84; the most expensive is Healthcare at 96. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,224 per year vs. the national median. Financially, that's significant.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: Lincoln — cost index 94, rent $1,293/mo, income $69,991
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
294,757 residents · Nebraska
Dive into Lincoln's numbers: cost index 94 (18 points below national average), rent $1,293/month, income $69,991, and a home price of $285,359. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 96. With 294,757 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
483,335 residents · Nebraska
The #2 spot goes to Omaha, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,403/month — saving renters $5,904 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 88, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Lincoln | 5.84% | 6.94% | 1.54% | $37,202 |
2Omaha | 5.84% | 6.94% | 1.54% | $37,202 |
We calculate what percentage of a $50K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Lincoln ranks #1 in Nebraska for this analysis with a cost index of 94 and median income of $69,991.
Yes. On a $50K salary in Lincoln, rent would consume about 31% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Lincoln (ranked #1) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,293/mo, while Omaha (ranked #2) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,403/mo — a 2-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Lincoln is $1,293/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $602 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5.84% state income tax, estimated take-home on $50K in Lincoln is approximately $37,202/year ($3,100/month). After median rent of $1,293/month, you'd have roughly $21,686/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Lincoln is $285,359, which is 4.1× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Nebraska has a 5.84% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.54%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.