Lincoln vs Phoenix
The short version
- Lincoln is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 11% lower than in the Phoenix area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $264,000 in Lincoln and $420,700 in Phoenix.
- Households earn more in Phoenix ($81,332 vs $71,867 median).
- Phoenix has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 36°F.
- Lincoln gets far more snow: 26 inches a year vs 0.
- Phoenix has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 42.
- Commutes are shorter in Lincoln (18 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Lincoln, NE | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 301,522 | 1,665,481 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.5% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 2,982 | 3,213 |
| Median age | 33.4 | 34.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $71,867 | $81,332 |
| Median home value | $264,000 | $420,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.7× | 5.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,086 | $1,582 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.6 | 103.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 84.2 | 121.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,700 | $77,500 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 57% |
| Top state income tax | 4.55% | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.4 | 25.6 |
| Work from home | 11% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.3% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 14° | 68° / 46° |
| July high / low | 89° / 67° | 107° / 85° |
| Precipitation per year | 29 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 26 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 42 | 173 |
| Nights below freezing | 143 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.7 | 99.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 7% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.1% | +0.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +39.3% | +35.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Lincoln: June and September. Phoenix: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Lincoln weather by month and Phoenix weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,700 in Lincoln and $77,500 in Phoenix. Moving from Lincoln to Phoenix, you would need about $84,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Lincoln and Phoenix
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Lincoln and Phoenix.
Which would you pick?
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