Moving to Washington from Nebraska

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Nebraska to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Nebraska to Washington, you would find that Washington is 18.1% more expensive than Nebraska. A $75,000 salary in Nebraska would need to be roughly $87,431 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nebraska and Washington.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $87,431

To maintain the same standard of living in Washington

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 12.2% more

Groceries

pay 12.1% more

Transportation

pay 19.8% more

Housing

pay 25.6% more

Childcare

pay 43.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.0% 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

The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Nebraska.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NE
225
WA
349
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NE
1937
WA
2819

Nebraska performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NE
7.1%
WA
6.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NE
37.4%
WA
31.1%

Washington performs significantly better than Nebraska across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

NE
$223,800
WA
$519,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NE
$1,035
WA
$1,682

Nebraska performs better than Washington 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

NE
89.8%
WA
93.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NE
19 min
WA
27 min

Nebraska generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NE
3.0%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NE
$73,391
WA
$87,768

Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Nebraska leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NE
22%
WA
26%

Washington performs significantly 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Olympia Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1270 mm)
60° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lincoln Olympia
Jan–Mar 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) 50°/34°F (10°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) 65°/43°F (18°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) 76°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) 51°/36°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Lincoln Olympia
Jan 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C)
Feb 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C)
Mar 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C)
Apr 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C)
May 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C)
Jun 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C)
Jul 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C)
Aug 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C)
Sep 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C)
Oct 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C)
Nov 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C)
Dec 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Nebraska?

On average Washington is around 17% pricier than Nebraska, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Washington?

Budget about $21,858 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Washington safe?

Nebraska performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Washington compared to Nebraska?

Washington performs significantly better than Nebraska across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Lincoln. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Lincoln gets 28.9 in.

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