Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Nebraska's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Omaha at index 82, where median rent of $1,403/month saves renters $5,904/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Omaha — cost index 82, rent $1,403/mo, income $72,708
Omaha rent up 3% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Nebraska's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Omaha at index 82, where median rent of $1,403/month saves renters $5,904/year versus the national median.
Omaha rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Omaha has increased from $1,359 to $1,403/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
Dive into Omaha's numbers: cost index 82 (29 points below national average), rent $1,403/month, income $72,708, and a home price of $288,850. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 82, while Healthcare runs 96. With 483,335 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs. Solidly above average.
The 3.5× rule is a conservative benchmark: lenders often approve up to 4-5× income, but 3.5× keeps monthly payments safely under 28% of gross income at typical rates. On $60K, that means targeting homes under $210,000. Omaha offers a median home at $288,850 — a 4.8× ratio with room to spare.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
483,335 residents · Nebraska
The #1 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, Housing is the standout at index 82, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
294,757 residents · Nebraska
Why Lincoln ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 76 on the cost index, residents save roughly 35% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,293/month while the median household pulls in $69,991/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 76, though Healthcare (95) lags behind. Home prices average $285,359 — $182,011 below the national median.
Omaha ranks #1 in Nebraska for this analysis with a cost index of 82 and median income of $72,708.
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.
Omaha (ranked #1) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,403/mo, while Lincoln (ranked #2) has a cost index of 76 and rent of $1,293/mo — a 6-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 Omaha is $1,403/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $492 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Omaha is $288,850, which is 4.0× 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.