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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 111. Omaha stands out at 82 on the index, with rent of $1,403/month — and that's before you even look at taxes — and household income of $72,708. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
483,335 residents · Nebraska
At $1,403/month for rent and a cost index of 82, Omaha is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $72,708. Pretty standard for this type of city (that's pre-tax, of course).
294,757 residents · Nebraska
The #2 spot goes to Lincoln, and the breakdown explains why. And from what we can tell, renters here pay $1,293/month — saving renters $7,224 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 76, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. At a 22% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
#1 Ranked: Omaha — cost index 82, rent $1,403/mo, income $72,708
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
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Nebraska beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Omaha stands out at 82 on the index, with rent of $1,403/month — and that's before you even look at taxes — and household income of $72,708. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Real talk: Tax burden isn't just income tax. We combine three layers: state income tax (5.84% in Omaha), combined state+local sales tax (6.94%), and effective property tax (1.54%). At 5.84% state income tax, the real differentiator becomes sales and property tax rates. On a $75,000 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — salary, the estimated take-home in #1 Omaha is $53,330/year (that's pre-tax, of course).
A closer look at Omaha: the cost index of 82 breaks down to a Housing index of 82 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
It checks most boxes — but the healthcare costs are the asterisk. In Omaha, the healthcare index sits at 96 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way). The math checks out.
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.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Omaha | 5.84% | 6.94% | 1.54% | $51,851 |
2Lincoln | 5.84% | 6.94% | 1.54% | $51,851 |
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.