If you’re on the hunt for the cheapest places to live in Nebraska, then this guide has got you covered.
In our research of the most budget-friendly places in the Cornhusker State, we used Saturday Night Science and data from the Nebraska Census on the cost of living, home prices, and incomes. The data shows that Nebraska’s lowest cost of living areas are plentiful and thriving due to ample job opportunities and solid wages.
After you find your slice of affordable Nebraska, you’ll be all set to grab a top-end steak with Warren Buffett in Bentonville.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Nebraska
What’s the most affordable place to live in Nebraska? The most affordable place in the Cornhusker State is Lexington.
Now you’re ready to learn what 1.9 million Nebraskans already know. Those extra bucks in your pocket let you visit Carhenge in Alliance or catch an astronomy show at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland — some of the most affordable fun in Nebraska.
Check out some more reading about Nebraska and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska For 2024
/10
Population: 10,662
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $63,939
Median Home Price: $180,138
Median Rent: $921
Located along Route 30 in southern Nebraska, Lexington ranks as the most affordable city in the state. You’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere in Nebraska that has cheaper homes for sale, because Lexington has the tenth lowest home prices statewide, with a median price of $180,138. And with a median income of $63,939, Lexington residents enjoy the sixth best home price to income ratio in Nebraska. Military buffs will be delighted to have the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles right in the neighborhood. And don’t worry that this inexpensive place with lots of weaponry on display is dangerous; we named Lexington among the safest places in Nebraska.
More on Lexington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,412
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 81
Median Income: $53,750
Median Home Price: $168,997
Median Rent: $782
Ranking as our second most affordable place to live in Nebraska is McCook, a small city in the southwestern part of the state. McCook scored an 8/10 on our overall Snackability score, so you know they’ve got you covered on low unemployment, good schools, short commutes, and awesome amenities like the Heritage Hills Golf Course. And the great news doesn’t stop there; you can get a home in McCook for $168,997, the sixth cheapest price in Nebraska. And with a median income of $53,750, McCook has the 11th lowest home price to income ratio in the state.
More on Mccook: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,101
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $68,794
Median Home Price: $196,159
Median Rent: $836
Located between Lincoln and Grand Island, York ranks as the third least expensive place to call home in Nebraska. York is another city that makes this list thanks to it’s affordable rent. While the median rent of $836 is slightly higher than Holdrege, York’s median income of $68,794 is also slightly higher. Overall, York has the fourth best rent to income ratio in Nebraska. And if you’re into quirky novelty museums, Lee’s Legendary Marbles and Collectibles makes a great day out on a budget.
More on York: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 52,822
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $59,061
Median Home Price: $227,607
Median Rent: $886
Grand Island, an hour west of Lincoln, is not an island, but it is grand when it comes to savings. It places fourth on our list of the cheapest cities in Nebraska. With a 84 cost of living index and 20th lowest home prices statewide, it epitomizes real estate value.
The overall cost of living in Grand Island is 3.4% lower than the Nebraska average. You can enjoy cheap things in town like Stuhr Museum and George Park.
More on Grand Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 13,835
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $62,650
Median Home Price: $201,174
Median Rent: $963
South Sioux City is more than just a sibilant-heavy tongue-twister; it’s also the fifth least expensive place in Nebraska. Homes in South Sioux City are the 13th most affordable statewide, with a median price of $201,174. Renters also get the 26th best deal in Nebraska. If you do decide to settle down here, we recommend visiting Siouxland Freedom Park for relaxing picnic beside the Missouri River.
South Sioux City is located just south of Sioux City, Iowa.
More on South Sioux City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,516
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $71,275
Median Home Price: $190,114
Median Rent: $958
If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest place to live in Nebraska, look no further than Schuyler, a city an hour north of Lincoln. What makes Schuyler so affordable? Well, Schuyler has the 13th least expensive homes for sale in Nebraska, with a median price tag of $190,114. Even more importantly, with a median income of $71,275, Schuyler has the second best home price to income ratio in the state. If you’re looking to lock down a job before making the move, the Cargill beef processing plant is the city’s largest employer.
More on Schuyler: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,494
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $58,375
Median Home Price: $159,861
Median Rent: $724
While other cities higher up on this list may have cheaper homes, they don’t hold a candle to Holdrege when it comes to affordable rent. The median rent in Holdrege is a measly $724, about half the average rent in Nebraska. And with a median income of $58,375, Holdrege residents pay the fourth smallest proportion of their income on rent statewide.
Holdrege is also home to the Nebraska Prairie Museum, where you can learn about the WWII German POW Camp Atlanta.
More on Holdrege: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 25,883
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $57,479
Median Home Price: $225,933
Median Rent: $801
In Madison County, a stone’s throw away from Omaha and Sioux City is Norfolk. Norfolk has the eighth best cost-of-living index at 85 is 2.3% below the state average.
The overall cost of living index includes low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare. You can save even more of your income doing free things in Norfolk, like spending the afternoon at Ta-Ha-Zouka Park.
More on Norfolk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 25,098
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $57,554
Median Home Price: $178,264
Median Rent: $814
Hastings, 40 mins southwest of Omaha, made it onto the list of the least expensive cities in Nebraska.
Hastings was in rush to prove it’s affordability. It has a $178,264 average home price and a manageable 85 overall cost of living index is 2 points lower than the state average.
More on Hastings: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 8,118
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $58,214
Median Home Price: $153,789
Median Rent: $728
Alliance ranks as the tenth most affordable place to live in Nebraska. It’s also home to Carhenge, a quirky roadside stop on the western edge of the Sandhills of Nebraska that replicates Stonehenge. If you decide to move to Alliance, a home will set you back about $153,789 or rent will cost you around $728/month. Whether you’re renting or buying, know that you’ll be enjoying the best housing to income ratio in Nebraska.
Alliance is located centrally in the Nebraska Panhandle.
More on Alliance: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Nebraska FAQs
The county in Nebraska with the lowest cost of living is Brown County. The average living wage in Brown County is $85,784 according to MIT data. Brown County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Nebraska as a whole. Childcare costs $13,983 a year in Brown County for two children compared to the Nebraska average of $15,649. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,808 per year in Brown County compared to $10,488 on average in Nebraska.
The cost of living in Nebraska is 0.2% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Nebraska is $89,596 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Nebraska household is $63,015.
The cheapest housing market in Nebraska is Schuyler. The average home value in Schuyler is $87,700, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Nebraska is $164,000, almost 1.9 times higher than Schuyler.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Cornhusker State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Nebraska boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Nebraska using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Nebraska to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 32 places in Nebraska that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Nebraska with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Lexington.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Nebraska.
Nebraska Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Nebraska for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Nebraska.
The cheapest cities in Nebraska are Lexington, McCook, York, Grand Island, South Sioux City, Schuyler, Holdrege, Norfolk, Hastings, and Alliance.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Nebraska according to the data:
- Gretna
- Papillion
- Omaha
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nebraska
- Safest Places In Nebraska
- Worst Places To Live In Nebraska
Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington | 10,662 | 80 | $63,939 | $180,138 | $921 |
| 2 | McCook | 7,412 | 81 | $53,750 | $168,997 | $782 |
| 3 | York | 8,101 | 83 | $68,794 | $196,159 | $836 |
| 4 | Grand Island | 52,822 | 84 | $59,061 | $227,607 | $886 |
| 5 | South Sioux City | 13,835 | 84 | $62,650 | $201,174 | $963 |
| 6 | Schuyler | 6,516 | 84 | $71,275 | $190,114 | $958 |
| 7 | Holdrege | 5,494 | 84 | $58,375 | $159,861 | $724 |
| 8 | Norfolk | 25,883 | 85 | $57,479 | $225,933 | $801 |
| 9 | Hastings | 25,098 | 85 | $57,554 | $178,264 | $814 |
| 10 | Alliance | 8,118 | 85 | $58,214 | $153,789 | $728 |
| 11 | Plattsmouth | 6,585 | 85 | $58,989 | $284,852 | $965 |
| 12 | North Platte | 23,309 | 86 | $56,890 | $184,800 | $871 |
| 13 | Scottsbluff | 14,454 | 86 | $55,744 | $164,115 | $942 |
| 14 | Beatrice | 12,237 | 86 | $49,537 | $157,701 | $686 |
| 15 | Nebraska City | 7,257 | 86 | $63,732 | $174,481 | $901 |
| 16 | Crete | 7,093 | 86 | $62,468 | $220,582 | $791 |
| 17 | Wayne | 5,973 | 86 | $51,399 | $202,182 | $766 |
| 18 | Columbus | 24,035 | 87 | $65,341 | $247,049 | $867 |
| 19 | Chadron | 5,255 | 87 | $53,728 | $177,823 | $832 |
| 20 | Fremont | 27,230 | 88 | $62,226 | $227,388 | $897 |
| 21 | Gering | 8,582 | 89 | $65,743 | $182,745 | $845 |
| 22 | Lincoln | 290,531 | 90 | $67,846 | $267,971 | $998 |
| 23 | Kearney | 33,809 | 90 | $66,843 | $282,103 | $897 |
| 24 | Blair | 7,813 | 90 | $74,058 | $322,377 | $932 |
| 25 | Sidney | 6,407 | 90 | $49,866 | $146,360 | $852 |
| 26 | La Vista | 16,713 | 91 | $77,748 | $286,712 | $1,183 |
| 27 | Seward | 7,667 | 91 | $76,755 | $271,510 | $932 |
| 28 | Ralston | 6,462 | 91 | $61,554 | $239,447 | $1,087 |
| 29 | Bellevue | 63,336 | 92 | $79,839 | $270,139 | $1,141 |
| 30 | Omaha | 489,201 | 93 | $70,202 | $268,796 | $1,099 |
| 31 | Papillion | 24,016 | 96 | $104,608 | $379,982 | $1,154 |
| 32 | Gretna | 9,019 | 97 | $117,553 | $416,052 | $1,357 |