Median rent is 20% lower in Lincoln ($1,086/mo vs $1,361/mo). Buying is cheaper in Lincoln, where the median home runs $264,000 versus $277,800. Households earn more in Lincoln ($71,867 vs $64,813 a year).
City A
Houston, TX
City B
Lincoln, NE
How much would you need to earn in Lincoln, NE to maintain your standard of living from Houston, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Houston
Texas
Lincoln
Nebraska
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Lincoln at $1,086/mo compared to $1,361/mo in Houston (20% gap). Median home values are within 5% of each other: $277,800 in Houston and $264,000 in Lincoln.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Houston
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lincoln
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lincoln has cleaner air on average: 32.0 AQI (Good) compared to 59.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Lincoln if you prioritize higher median household income ($71,867/yr).
Pick Lincoln if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,086/mo median).
Pick Lincoln if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 32.0).
Is Houston cheaper than Lincoln?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Houston vs Lincoln?
Median rent is $1,361/mo in Houston, TX and $1,086/mo in Lincoln, NE. Lincoln, NE has the lower rent by about 20%.
Which has higher salaries — Houston or Lincoln?
Median household income is $64,813 in Houston, TX and $71,867 in Lincoln, NE. Lincoln, NE has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Lincoln, NE has better air quality on average: 32.0 AQI versus 59.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Houston or Lincoln?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Lincoln to match my Houston income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
