Median rent is 8% lower in Lincoln ($1,086/mo vs $1,182/mo). Buying is cheaper in Lubbock, where the median home runs $212,400 versus $264,000. Households earn more in Lincoln ($71,867 vs $60,895 a year).
City A
Lincoln, NE
City B
Lubbock, TX
How much would you need to earn in Lubbock, TX to maintain your standard of living from Lincoln, NE?
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
Lincoln
Nebraska
Lubbock
Texas
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 $1,182/mo in Lubbock (8% gap). Median home values are within 20% of each other: $264,000 in Lincoln and $212,400 in Lubbock.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Lincoln
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lubbock
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lubbock has cleaner air on average: 24.0 AQI (Good) compared to 32.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Lincoln if you prioritize higher median household income ($71,867/yr).
Pick Lubbock if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 24.0).
Is Lincoln cheaper than Lubbock?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Lincoln vs Lubbock?
Median rent is $1,086/mo in Lincoln, NE and $1,182/mo in Lubbock, TX. Lincoln, NE has the lower rent by about 8%.
Which has higher salaries — Lincoln or Lubbock?
Median household income is $71,867 in Lincoln, NE and $60,895 in Lubbock, TX. 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?
Lubbock, TX has better air quality on average: 24.0 AQI versus 32.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Lincoln or Lubbock?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Lubbock to match my Lincoln 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
