Median rent is 9% lower in Lincoln ($1,045/mo vs $1,150/mo). Buying is cheaper in Omaha, where the median home runs $230,100 versus $248,200. Households earn more in Omaha ($72,708 vs $69,991 a year).
City A
Lincoln, NE
City B
Omaha, NE
How much would you need to earn in Omaha, NE 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 city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Lincoln
Nebraska
Omaha
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: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Lincoln at $1,045/mo compared to $1,150/mo in Omaha (9% gap). Median home values are within 7% of each other: $248,200 in Lincoln and $230,100 in Omaha.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
Nebraska's top income tax rate is 5.84% versus 5.84% in Nebraska, so Omaha is more tax-friendly for high earners. Sales tax is 5.50% in Nebraska and 5.50% in Nebraska; Omaha has the lower rate (local add-ons may apply in both).
Lincoln
Income tax: 5.84%
Sales tax: 5.50%
Omaha
Income tax: 5.84%
Sales tax: 5.50%
Omaha has cleaner air on average: 26.0 AQI (Good) compared to 28.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Is Lincoln cheaper than Omaha?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Lincoln vs Omaha?
Median rent is $1,045/mo in Lincoln, NE and $1,150/mo in Omaha, NE. Lincoln, NE has the lower rent by about 9%.
Which has higher salaries — Lincoln or Omaha?
Median household income is $69,991 in Lincoln, NE and $72,708 in Omaha, NE. Omaha, 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?
Omaha, NE has better air quality on average: 26.0 AQI versus 28.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Lincoln or Omaha?
Nebraska's top income tax rate is 5.84% and Nebraska's is 5.84%. Omaha, NE has the lower rate.
What salary do I need in Omaha to match my Lincoln income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2024 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology