Before you decide to relocate to Nebraska, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Nebraska that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 32 places in Nebraska with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Nebraska for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the most expensive place to live in Nebraska? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Gretna is the most expensive place to live in Nebraska.
Lexington (the cheapest place to live in Nebraska) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Nebraska and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Nebraska For 2024
/10
Population: 9,019
Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $117,553
Average Home Price: $416,052
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.5x
More on Gretna: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Gretna is 97. The median income in Gretna comes in at $117,553 and the average home value is $416,052 for 2024.
/10
Population: 24,016
Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $104,608
Average Home Price: $379,982
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.6x
More on Papillion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Papillion is 96. The median income in Papillion comes in at $104,608 and the average home value is $379,982 for 2024.
/10
Population: 489,201
Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $70,202
Average Home Price: $268,796
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Omaha: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Omaha is 93. The median income in Omaha comes in at $70,202 and the average home value is $268,796 for 2024.
/10
Population: 63,336
Cost Of Living Index: 92
Median Income: $79,839
Average Home Price: $270,139
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.4x
More on Bellevue: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Bellevue is 92. The median income in Bellevue comes in at $79,839 and the average home value is $270,139 for 2024.
/10
Population: 16,713
Cost Of Living Index: 91
Median Income: $77,748
Average Home Price: $286,712
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.7x
More on La Vista: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in La Vista is 91. The median income in La Vista comes in at $77,748 and the average home value is $286,712 for 2024.
/10
Population: 7,667
Cost Of Living Index: 91
Median Income: $76,755
Average Home Price: $271,510
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.5x
More on Seward: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Seward is 91. The median income in Seward comes in at $76,755 and the average home value is $271,510 for 2024.
/10
Population: 6,462
Cost Of Living Index: 91
Median Income: $61,554
Average Home Price: $239,447
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.9x
More on Ralston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Ralston is 91. The median income in Ralston comes in at $61,554 and the average home value is $239,447 for 2024.
/10
Population: 290,531
Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $67,846
Average Home Price: $267,971
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.9x
More on Lincoln: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Lincoln is 90. The median income in Lincoln comes in at $67,846 and the average home value is $267,971 for 2024.
/10
Population: 33,809
Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $66,843
Average Home Price: $282,103
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Kearney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Kearney is 90. The median income in Kearney comes in at $66,843 and the average home value is $282,103 for 2024.
/10
Population: 7,813
Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $74,058
Average Home Price: $322,377
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Blair: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Blair is 90. The median income in Blair comes in at $74,058 and the average home value is $322,377 for 2024.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Cornhusker State For 2024
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Nebraska are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Nebraska to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 32 places in Nebraska that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Nebraska according to the data is Gretna. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Nebraska.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Nebraska For 2024
Well, there you have it, the places in Nebraska that have the highest cost of living, with Gretna ranking as the most expensive city in the Cornhusker State.
The most expensive cities in Nebraska are Gretna, Papillion, Omaha, Bellevue, La Vista, Seward, Ralston, Lincoln, Kearney, and Blair.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Nebraska according to the data:
- Lexington
- McCook
- York
For more Nebraska reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Nebraska
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
- Most Dangerous Cities In Nebraska
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nebraska
- Safest Places In Nebraska
- Worst Places To Live In Nebraska
Most Expensive Cities In Nebraska
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gretna | 97 | 9,019 | $117,553 | $416,052 | 3.5x |
| 2 | Papillion | 96 | 24,016 | $104,608 | $379,982 | 3.6x |
| 3 | Omaha | 93 | 489,201 | $70,202 | $268,796 | 3.8x |
| 4 | Bellevue | 92 | 63,336 | $79,839 | $270,139 | 3.4x |
| 5 | La Vista | 91 | 16,713 | $77,748 | $286,712 | 3.7x |
| 6 | Seward | 91 | 7,667 | $76,755 | $271,510 | 3.5x |
| 7 | Ralston | 91 | 6,462 | $61,554 | $239,447 | 3.9x |
| 8 | Lincoln | 90 | 290,531 | $67,846 | $267,971 | 3.9x |
| 9 | Kearney | 90 | 33,809 | $66,843 | $282,103 | 4.2x |
| 10 | Blair | 90 | 7,813 | $74,058 | $322,377 | 4.4x |
| 11 | Sidney | 90 | 6,407 | $49,866 | $146,360 | 2.9x |
| 12 | Gering | 89 | 8,582 | $65,743 | $182,745 | 2.8x |
| 13 | Fremont | 88 | 27,230 | $62,226 | $227,388 | 3.7x |
| 14 | Columbus | 87 | 24,035 | $65,341 | $247,049 | 3.8x |
| 15 | Chadron | 87 | 5,255 | $53,728 | $177,823 | 3.3x |
| 16 | North Platte | 86 | 23,309 | $56,890 | $184,800 | 3.2x |
| 17 | Scottsbluff | 86 | 14,454 | $55,744 | $164,115 | 2.9x |
| 18 | Beatrice | 86 | 12,237 | $49,537 | $157,701 | 3.2x |
| 19 | Nebraska City | 86 | 7,257 | $63,732 | $174,481 | 2.7x |
| 20 | Crete | 86 | 7,093 | $62,468 | $220,582 | 3.5x |
| 21 | Wayne | 86 | 5,973 | $51,399 | $202,182 | 3.9x |
| 22 | Norfolk | 85 | 25,883 | $57,479 | $225,933 | 3.9x |
| 23 | Hastings | 85 | 25,098 | $57,554 | $178,264 | 3.1x |
| 24 | Alliance | 85 | 8,118 | $58,214 | $153,789 | 2.6x |
| 25 | Plattsmouth | 85 | 6,585 | $58,989 | $284,852 | 4.8x |
| 26 | Grand Island | 84 | 52,822 | $59,061 | $227,607 | 3.9x |
| 27 | South Sioux City | 84 | 13,835 | $62,650 | $201,174 | 3.2x |
| 28 | Schuyler | 84 | 6,516 | $71,275 | $190,114 | 2.7x |
| 29 | Holdrege | 84 | 5,494 | $58,375 | $159,861 | 2.7x |
| 30 | York | 83 | 8,101 | $68,794 | $196,159 | 2.9x |
| 31 | McCook | 81 | 7,412 | $53,750 | $168,997 | 3.1x |
| 32 | Lexington | 80 | 10,662 | $63,939 | $180,138 | 2.8x |