Cost of Living in Nebraska
What it costs to live in Nebraska, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 2,005,466
- Median household income
- $76,376
- State income tax
- Up to 4.6%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 90.1
What a typical paycheck keeps in Nebraska
The typical Nebraska worker earns $48,980 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $11,483 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $48,980
- Federal income tax
- −$3,698
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,747
- State income tax
- −$1,349
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,432
- Everyday costs
- −$16,271
a year, or $957 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Nebraska.
Cost of living in Nebraska
Prices across Nebraska run 10% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing25% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities24% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)7% below the US average
- All items10% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,036 | $12,432 |
| Food | $464 | $5,568 |
| Transportation | $367 | $4,404 |
| Healthcare | $327 | $3,924 |
| Utilities | $197 | $2,364 |
| Total before taxes | $2,391 | $28,692 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Nebraska taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 2.5% |
| $4,130 | 3.5% |
| $24,760 | 4.6% |
Taxes on the median household income
$76,376 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,973 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,843 |
| State income tax | −$2,596 |
| Effective tax rate | 21.5% |
Cities in Nebraska
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Nebraska city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Nebraska
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $179,750 | $98,123 |
| Pharmacist | $139,330 | $72,335 |
| Physician assistant | $133,040 | $68,321 |
| Nurse practitioner | $132,130 | $67,742 |
| Software engineer | $110,900 | $53,979 |
| Lawyer | $109,170 | $52,840 |
| Veterinarian | $103,500 | $49,109 |
| Civil engineer | $103,150 | $48,879 |
| Data scientist | $98,230 | $45,641 |
| Physical therapist | $97,090 | $44,892 |
| Occupational therapist | $93,740 | $42,687 |
| Dental hygienist | $92,580 | $41,924 |
| Lineman | $92,150 | $41,642 |
| Mechanical engineer | $88,060 | $38,950 |
| Registered nurse | $84,730 | $36,758 |
Salary pages in Nebraska, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Nebraska
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $290,470 |
| Chief Executives | $214,680 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $141,020 |
| Financial Managers | $140,360 |
| Pharmacists | $139,330 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $135,780 |
| Physician Assistants | $133,040 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $132,130 |
| Human Resources Managers | $129,460 |
| Sales Managers | $126,990 |
| Managers, All Other | $116,430 |
| Computer Network Architects | $116,420 |
| Software Developers | $110,900 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $110,580 |
| Marketing Managers | $110,570 |
Living in Nebraska
Nebraska against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Nebraska | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $263,100 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,102 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 19.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 9.7% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Nebraska with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Nebraska?
Prices in Nebraska are 10% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,036 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,356 a month.
Does Nebraska have a state income tax?
Yes. Nebraska's income tax rate is up to 4.6%. On a typical wage of $48,980, a single filer pays about $1,349 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Nebraska?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $33,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Nebraska earns $48,980 and keeps $11,483 after those costs.
Where in Nebraska does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Nebraska cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Lincoln ($12,019 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Omaha ($8,967).
What jobs pay the most in Nebraska?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Nebraska goes to Physicians, All Other ($290,470); Chief Executives ($214,680); Architectural and Engineering Managers ($141,020) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate