Lancaster County · Nebraska · Midwest · 295k residents
Lincoln, NE: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Lincoln: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Nebraska median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Lincoln is $264,000, 21% above the Nebraska median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,102/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 84 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $71,867 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Lincoln is $264,000, 20.8% above the median for ACS-covered places in Nebraska.
- Household income: Median household income is $71,867, 3.1% above the median for ACS-covered places in Nebraska.
- Adult education: 41.8% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.2% above the median for ACS-covered places in Nebraska.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 3.7 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A prairie capital with a university pulse, bike trails, and a civic culture built around steady growth.
Known for: The University of Nebraska, state government, sports, and an extensive trail network.
Calendar note: The Lincoln Arts Festival and Nebraska State Fair are annual anchors.
Story source: Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Lincoln about 119 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 215 sunny days and 26 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 42 and an average commute of 19 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Lincoln side by side
Cost of living index
84
ACS median home value
$264,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,102/mo
Median household income
$71,867
Housing momentum
How fast Lincoln's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
66/100
Steady
Ranks Lincoln's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Lincoln's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $264,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $165 |
| Property tax rate | 1.6% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $931/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,102/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.2% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 84 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $150/mo |
| Transit pass | $55/mo |
| Gas price | $3.05/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,050/mo |
| Median household income | $71,867 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% |
| Population | 295k |
| Crime index | 42/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 42/100 |
| Disaster risk | 91/100 |
| Avg. commute | 19 min |
| Sunny days / year | 215 days |
| July high | 89°F |
| January low | 14°F |
| Annual snowfall | 26 in |
| Home price YoY | +3.8% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +2.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Ocean coast | 772 mi |
| Big lake | 119 mi |
| Mountains | 388 mi |
| Major airport | 54 mi |
| Ski resort | 358 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Omaha, NE · 489k
- Papillion, NE · 25k
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- Fremont, NE · 28k
- Bellevue, NE · 65k
Similar size
- Grand Island, NE · 53k
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Real listings in Lincoln
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Lincoln, NE?
- Lincoln indexes at 84 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,102/mo and a acs median home value of $264,000.
- How much does a house cost in Lincoln?
- The acs median home value in Lincoln is $264,000, 21% above the Nebraska median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Lincoln?
- A two-bedroom in Lincoln rents for about $1,102/mo.