Omaha vs Lincoln
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $245,500 in Omaha and $264,000 in Lincoln.
- Lincoln is growing faster: +3.5% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | Lincoln, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 488,797 | 301,522 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.6% | +3.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,420 | 2,982 |
| Median age | 35.3 | 33.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,201 | $71,867 |
| Median home value | $245,500 | $264,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 3.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,187 | $1,086 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.9 | 91.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 86.4 | 84.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,900 | $68,700 |
| Homeowners | 57% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 4.55% | 4.55% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.6 | 18.4 |
| Work from home | 15% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.2% | 3.3% |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 34° / 15° | 36° / 14° |
| July high / low | 88° / 68° | 89° / 67° |
| Precipitation per year | 32 in | 29 in |
| Snowfall per year | 27 in | 26 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 33 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 134 | 143 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.9 | 90.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 62% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +4.2% | +2.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.1% | +39.3% |
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: Omaha: June and September to October. Lincoln: June and September.
Full monthly tables: Omaha weather by month and Lincoln weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,900 in Omaha and $68,700 in Lincoln. Moving from Omaha to Lincoln, you would need about $74,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Omaha and Lincoln
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Omaha and Lincoln.
Which would you pick?
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