Moving to Nebraska from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Nebraska? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Nebraska, you would find that Nebraska is 7.1% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $81,752 in Nebraska to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iowa and Nebraska.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $81,752
To maintain the same standard of living in Nebraska
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.0% more
Groceries
pay 10.6% more
Transportation
pay 16.3% more
Housing
pay 11.8% more
Childcare
pay 4.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.4% more
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
The numbers behind daily life in Nebraska compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Nebraska leads in violent crime rate.
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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nebraska leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Nebraska across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Nebraska performs significantly better than Iowa across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Nebraska performs significantly better than Iowa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Nebraska performs significantly better than Iowa 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 | Des Moines | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Nebraska than Iowa?
On average Nebraska is around 9% pricier than Iowa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Nebraska?
Budget about $20,438 for 3 months in Nebraska (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Nebraska safe?
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Nebraska leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Nebraska compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nebraska leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Nebraska compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Lincoln is 63°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Lincoln receives around 28.9 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
