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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Nebraska beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. And as far as the data shows, lincoln stands out at 94 on the index, with rent of $1,293/month and household income of $69,991. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Assembled from 20…
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Nebraska beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. And as far as the data shows, lincoln stands out at 94 on the index, with rent of $1,293/month and household income of $69,991. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
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 — for better or worse — . 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 more or less in line with the region. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs.
The utilities sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 87 (the top-10 average here) means utilities costs are about 13% below the national median. Lincoln leads at 86, followed by Omaha (88) and Omaha (88). Note: a low utilities index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Now, stack that against what people actually earn here: Nebraska — flyover affordability hiding in plain sight. The 2 cities we track here average a cost index of 95 — we had to double-check this one — and median income of $71,350. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,348/month, which is $547 less than the national median.
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.
#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
A closer look at Lincoln: the cost index of 94 breaks down to a Housing index of 84 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (weakest). And with some exceptions, that alone makes it worth considering. Median rent is $1,293/month — 32% below the national median — while household income sits at $69,991, meaning locals spend about 22% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
483,335 residents · Nebraska
Omaha earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And in practical terms, the 96 cost index sits 16 points below the national baseline, and the $72,708 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $288,850 — $178,520 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 88, while Healthcare trails at 99.
Cities are ranked by their utilities 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 utilities index at 86, 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.