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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 112 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: Lincoln at index 94, where median rent of $1,293/month saves renters $7,224/year versus the national median (not ad…
Dollar for dollar, few states match Nebraska's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Leading the pack: Lincoln at index 94, where median rent of $1,293/month saves renters $7,224/year versus the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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 — a detail that tends to get overlooked — . 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. That's a difference you notice every single month.
Bottom line: Lincoln leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers (that's pre-tax, of course).
#1 Ranked: Lincoln — cost index 94, rent $1,293/mo, income $69,991
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
294,757 residents · Nebraska
Look, 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
483,335 residents · Nebraska
A closer look at Omaha: the cost index of 96 — make of that what you will — breaks down to a Utilities index of 88 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). Median rent is $1,403/month — 26% below the national median — while household income sits at $72,708, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index within Nebraska. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Lincoln, NE has the lowest healthcare index at 96, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
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.