Moving to Nebraska from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Nebraska — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Nebraska, you would find that Nebraska is 17.6% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $57,343 in Nebraska to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lincoln averages 63°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to Nebraska.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $57,343
To maintain the same standard of living in Nebraska
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 12.8% less
Groceries
pay 13.1% less
Transportation
pay 16.6% less
Housing
pay 27.6% less
Childcare
pay 32.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to Nebraska.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Nebraska performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nebraska leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Nebraska performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California generally does better on infrastructure, though Nebraska leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Nebraska leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs better than Nebraska across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Nebraska than California?
Yes — Nebraska is on average about 24% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Nebraska?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,336 in Nebraska on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Nebraska safe?
Nebraska performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Nebraska compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nebraska leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Nebraska compared to California?
The average high temperature in Lincoln is 63°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Lincoln receives around 28.9 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
