Moving to Nebraska from Kentucky

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Kentucky to Nebraska — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Kentucky to Nebraska, you would find that Nebraska is 8.7% more expensive than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly $79,227 in Nebraska to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kentucky to Nebraska.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $79,227

To maintain the same standard of living in Nebraska

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 10.4% more

Groceries

pay 9.2% more

Transportation

pay 10.9% more

Housing

pay 6.1% more

Childcare

pay 5.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 21.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Kentucky to Nebraska.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KY
220
NE
225
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KY
1525
NE
1937

Kentucky performs better than Nebraska across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

KY
5.7%
NE
7.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

KY
38.2%
NE
37.4%

Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

KY
$192,300
NE
$223,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

KY
$933
NE
$1,035

Kentucky performs better than Nebraska across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

KY
87.4%
NE
89.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

KY
24 min
NE
19 min

Nebraska performs significantly better than Kentucky across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KY
3.5%
NE
3.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KY
$50,135
NE
$73,391

Nebraska performs significantly better than Kentucky across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

KY
73.5 yrs
NE
77.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

KY
18%
NE
22%

Nebraska performs significantly better than Kentucky 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.

Bowling Green Rain: 49.9 in/yr (1267 mm)
69° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Lincoln Rain: 28.9 in/yr (735 mm)
63° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bowling Green Lincoln
Jan–Mar 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) 74°/50°F (23°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) 85°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Bowling Green Lincoln
Jan 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C)
Feb 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C)
Mar 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C)
Apr 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C)
Jun 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C)
Jul 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C)
Aug 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C)
Sep 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C)
Oct 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C)
Nov 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C)
Dec 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Nebraska than Kentucky?

No — Nebraska is on average about 6% more expensive than Kentucky. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Nebraska?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,807 in Nebraska on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Nebraska safe?

Kentucky performs better than Nebraska across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Nebraska compared to Kentucky?

Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Nebraska compared to Kentucky?

The average high temperature in Lincoln is 63°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Lincoln receives around 28.9 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.

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