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 2020-2024 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 2026.
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 Papillion is the most expensive place to live in Nebraska.
Schuyler (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 2026
/10
Population: 25,244
Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $111,679
Average Home Price: $409,004
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.7x
More on Papillion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Papillion is 102. The median income in Papillion comes in at $111,679 and the average home value is $409,004 for 2026.
/10
Population: 488,837
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $73,201
Average Home Price: $294,188
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.0x
More on Omaha: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Omaha is 100. The median income in Omaha comes in at $73,201 and the average home value is $294,188 for 2026.
/10
Population: 34,246
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $69,724
Average Home Price: $309,677
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Kearney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Kearney is 100. The median income in Kearney comes in at $69,724 and the average home value is $309,677 for 2026.
/10
Population: 9,193
Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $123,992
Average Home Price: $425,558
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.4x
More on Gretna: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Gretna is 100. The median income in Gretna comes in at $123,992 and the average home value is $425,558 for 2026.
/10
Population: 16,563
Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $81,961
Average Home Price: $307,596
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on La Vista: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in La Vista is 98. The median income in La Vista comes in at $81,961 and the average home value is $307,596 for 2026.
/10
Population: 294,856
Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $71,867
Average Home Price: $291,062
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.1x
More on Lincoln: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Lincoln is 96. The median income in Lincoln comes in at $71,867 and the average home value is $291,062 for 2026.
/10
Population: 6,472
Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $69,403
Average Home Price: $264,641
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Ralston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Ralston is 96. The median income in Ralston comes in at $69,403 and the average home value is $264,641 for 2026.
/10
Population: 64,510
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $85,462
Average Home Price: $297,049
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.5x
More on Bellevue: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Bellevue is 95. The median income in Bellevue comes in at $85,462 and the average home value is $297,049 for 2026.
/10
Population: 27,567
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $71,152
Average Home Price: $253,065
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.6x
More on Fremont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Fremont is 95. The median income in Fremont comes in at $71,152 and the average home value is $253,065 for 2026.
/10
Population: 7,914
Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $81,452
Average Home Price: $351,844
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.3x
More on Blair: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Blair is 95. The median income in Blair comes in at $81,452 and the average home value is $351,844 for 2026.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Cornhusker State For 2026
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 2020-2024 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 Papillion. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in Nebraska.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Nebraska For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in Nebraska that have the highest cost of living, with Papillion ranking as the most expensive city in the Cornhusker State.
The most expensive cities in Nebraska are Papillion, Omaha, Kearney, Gretna, La Vista, Lincoln, Ralston, Bellevue, Fremont, and Blair.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Nebraska according to the data:
- Schuyler
- McCook
- Crete
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 | Papillion | 102 | 25,244 | $111,679 | $409,004 | 3.7x |
| 2 | Omaha | 100 | 488,837 | $73,201 | $294,188 | 4.0x |
| 3 | Kearney | 100 | 34,246 | $69,724 | $309,677 | 4.4x |
| 4 | Gretna | 100 | 9,193 | $123,992 | $425,558 | 3.4x |
| 5 | La Vista | 98 | 16,563 | $81,961 | $307,596 | 3.8x |
| 6 | Lincoln | 96 | 294,856 | $71,867 | $291,062 | 4.1x |
| 7 | Ralston | 96 | 6,472 | $69,403 | $264,641 | 3.8x |
| 8 | Bellevue | 95 | 64,510 | $85,462 | $297,049 | 3.5x |
| 9 | Fremont | 95 | 27,567 | $71,152 | $253,065 | 3.6x |
| 10 | Blair | 95 | 7,914 | $81,452 | $351,844 | 4.3x |
| 11 | Seward | 95 | 7,678 | $72,564 | $307,287 | 4.2x |
| 12 | Gering | 94 | 8,550 | $75,093 | $209,550 | 2.8x |
| 13 | Grand Island | 93 | 52,884 | $63,795 | $252,574 | 4.0x |
| 14 | Norfolk | 93 | 26,054 | $58,884 | $256,016 | 4.3x |
| 15 | Scottsbluff | 93 | 14,376 | $56,359 | $179,640 | 3.2x |
| 16 | Columbus | 92 | 24,488 | $64,626 | $269,083 | 4.2x |
| 17 | Alliance | 92 | 8,075 | $65,160 | $173,240 | 2.7x |
| 18 | Holdrege | 92 | 5,546 | $55,789 | $194,781 | 3.5x |
| 19 | North Platte | 91 | 22,831 | $58,097 | $208,704 | 3.6x |
| 20 | Lexington | 91 | 10,862 | $67,666 | $205,386 | 3.0x |
| 21 | York | 91 | 8,141 | $63,265 | $219,747 | 3.5x |
| 22 | Plattsmouth | 91 | 6,731 | $73,929 | $306,415 | 4.1x |
| 23 | Hastings | 90 | 25,008 | $64,048 | $200,240 | 3.1x |
| 24 | South Sioux City | 90 | 13,907 | $68,223 | $228,788 | 3.4x |
| 25 | Sidney | 89 | 6,419 | $54,734 | $168,006 | 3.1x |
| 26 | Beatrice | 88 | 12,225 | $57,264 | $182,538 | 3.2x |
| 27 | Wayne | 88 | 6,121 | $53,702 | $234,128 | 4.4x |
| 28 | Chadron | 88 | 5,160 | $54,590 | $193,553 | 3.5x |
| 29 | Nebraska City | 87 | 7,369 | $67,117 | $201,347 | 3.0x |
| 30 | Crete | 85 | 7,527 | $77,209 | $238,975 | 3.1x |
| 31 | McCook | 85 | 7,314 | $56,917 | $177,178 | 3.1x |
| 32 | Schuyler | 85 | 6,578 | $80,399 | $230,809 | 2.9x |