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.
$77,209 median income · $936 median rent · #17 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Saline County, Nebraska
While Crete may be the least affordable place for renters on this list, the city makes up for it other ways. Like by having the 17th cheapest homes for sale in Nebraska, at a median price of $238,976. Or by having the seventh best home price to income ratio statewide. And it’s hard to put a price on being named the best place to raise a family in Nebraska.
Crete is just a short drive southwest of Lincoln.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$56,917 median income · $823 median rent · #3 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Red Willow County, Nebraska
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 $177,179, the third cheapest price in Nebraska. And with a median income of $56,917, McCook has the eighth lowest home price to income ratio in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$80,399 median income · $1,049 median rent · #15 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Colfax County, Nebraska
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 15th least expensive homes for sale in Nebraska, with a median price tag of $230,809. Even more importantly, with a median income of $80,399, Schuyler has the third 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$67,117 median income · $947 median rent · #9 home prices in Nebraska
Nebraska City is a fantastic choice for those seeking an affordable and comfortable life in Nebraska. With a median home value of $201,348 and a median rent of $947, it’s clear that housing costs are very reasonable.
Nebraska City has an overall cost of living index of 87, which means that other expenses like groceries and utilities are also quite reasonable. Plus, with an unemployment rate of only 1.38, residents can feel confident they’ll keep their job.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$57,264 median income · $758 median rent · #5 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Gage County, Nebraska
Situated about 40 miles south of Lincoln, Beatrice ranks as the fifth most affordable place in Nebraska. Visitors come from far and wide to enjoy Beatrice’s Homestead National Monument, but those who stick around find there’s a lot more here to do here.
Like taking a stroll down the gorgeous Chief Standing Bear Trail, or spending a day fishing and night camping on Rockford Lake.
If you want to try Beatrice out without too much commitment, you’re in luck because it has the second cheapest median rent in Nebraska at $758. Homes are also quite inexpensive, with a median price of $182,539 – that’s the fifth lowest anywhere in the state.
For someone who likes the quiet and life and the great outdoors, Beatrice offers a high quality of life for a low cost of living.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$53,702 median income · $792 median rent · #16 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Wayne County, Nebraska
Wayne is a city in Wayne County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,660 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County and the home of Wayne State College.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$54,590 median income · $881 median rent · #6 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Dawes County, Nebraska
Chadron is a city in Dawes County, in the state of Nebraska in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County, and the location of Chadron State College.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$54,734 median income · $819 median rent · #1 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Cheyenne County, Nebraska
Located in the Nebraska Panhandle just north of the Colorado border, Sidney comes in as the eighth cheapest place to live in the state. The median home price in Sidney is $168,006 and the median income is $54,734. That means that Sidney’s population pays the sixth smallest proportion of their income on homes statewide. At $819/month, the rent in Sidney is also super affordable. Those looking to learn more about the city’s ties to the rugged frontier days on the late 19th century will definitely want to pay a visit to the Fort Sidney Museum.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$64,048 median income · $858 median rent · #8 home prices in Nebraska
Located in
Adams County, Nebraska
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 $200,241 average home price and a manageable 90 overall cost of living index is 1.0 points lower than the state average.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$68,223 median income · $1,127 median rent · #14 home prices in Nebraska
South Sioux City is more than just a sibilant-heavy tongue-twister; it’s also the tenth least expensive place in Nebraska. Homes in South Sioux City are the 12th most affordable statewide, with a median price of $228,788. Renters also get the 30th 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 (obviously).
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Nebraska’s statewide median.
Nebraska statewide median: $276,500
Nebraska statewide median: $76,475
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in Nebraska
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Cornhusker State for 2026
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 2020-2024 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 Crete.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Nebraska.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In Nebraska
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crete | 7,527 | 85 | $77,209 | $238,976 | $936 |
| 2 | McCook | 7,314 | 85 | $56,917 | $177,179 | $823 |
| 3 | Schuyler | 6,578 | 85 | $80,399 | $230,809 | $1,049 |
| 4 | Nebraska City | 7,369 | 87 | $67,117 | $201,348 | $947 |
| 5 | Beatrice | 12,225 | 88 | $57,264 | $182,539 | $758 |
| 6 | Wayne | 6,121 | 88 | $53,702 | $234,128 | $792 |
| 7 | Chadron | 5,160 | 88 | $54,590 | $193,554 | $881 |
| 8 | Sidney | 6,419 | 89 | $54,734 | $168,006 | $819 |
| 9 | Hastings | 25,008 | 90 | $64,048 | $200,241 | $858 |
| 10 | South Sioux City | 13,907 | 90 | $68,223 | $228,788 | $1,127 |
| 11 | North Platte | 22,831 | 91 | $58,097 | $208,704 | $921 |
| 12 | Lexington | 10,862 | 91 | $67,666 | $205,386 | $966 |
| 13 | York | 8,141 | 91 | $63,265 | $219,748 | $862 |
| 14 | Plattsmouth | 6,731 | 91 | $73,929 | $306,416 | $941 |
| 15 | Columbus | 24,488 | 92 | $64,626 | $269,084 | $892 |
| 16 | Alliance | 8,075 | 92 | $65,160 | $173,241 | $694 |
| 17 | Holdrege | 5,546 | 92 | $55,789 | $194,781 | $835 |
| 18 | Grand Island | 52,884 | 93 | $63,795 | $252,575 | $947 |
| 19 | Norfolk | 26,054 | 93 | $58,884 | $256,017 | $875 |
| 20 | Scottsbluff | 14,376 | 93 | $56,359 | $179,641 | $966 |
| 21 | Gering | 8,550 | 94 | $75,093 | $209,551 | $823 |
| 22 | Bellevue | 64,510 | 95 | $85,462 | $297,049 | $1,226 |
| 23 | Fremont | 27,567 | 95 | $71,152 | $253,066 | $1,080 |
| 24 | Blair | 7,914 | 95 | $81,452 | $351,845 | $937 |
| 25 | Seward | 7,678 | 95 | $72,564 | $307,288 | $1,018 |
| 26 | Lincoln | 294,856 | 96 | $71,867 | $291,062 | $1,086 |
| 27 | Ralston | 6,472 | 96 | $69,403 | $264,642 | $1,215 |
| 28 | La Vista | 16,563 | 98 | $81,961 | $307,597 | $1,317 |
| 29 | Omaha | 488,837 | 100 | $73,201 | $294,189 | $1,187 |
| 30 | Kearney | 34,246 | 100 | $69,724 | $309,678 | $949 |
| 31 | Gretna | 9,193 | 100 | $123,992 | $425,558 | $1,540 |
| 32 | Papillion | 25,244 | 102 | $111,679 | $409,004 | $1,269 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 32 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Nebraska Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Nebraska for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Nebraska.
The cheapest cities in Nebraska are Crete, McCook, Schuyler, Nebraska City, Beatrice, Wayne, Chadron, Sidney, Hastings, and South Sioux City.
