Moving to Nebraska from Pennsylvania

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Pennsylvania to Nebraska — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Pennsylvania to Nebraska, you would find that Nebraska is 8.8% cheaper than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $68,400 in Nebraska to maintain the same lifestyle. Philadelphia and Omaha are about 1,100 mi apart.

Is Nebraska cheaper than Pennsylvania?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.1% more

Groceries

pay 5.8% less

Transportation

pay 7.6% less

Housing

pay 11.9% less

Childcare

pay 43.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.1% less

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.

What salary do you need in Nebraska?

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 → $68,400

To maintain the same standard of living in Nebraska

Calculate with your salary →

Key Indicator Comparison

How Pennsylvania and Nebraska stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

PA
264
NE
225
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

PA
1567
NE
1937

Pennsylvania generally does better on safety, though Nebraska leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

PA
5.5%
NE
7.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

PA
34.4%
NE
37.4%

Pennsylvania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nebraska leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

PA
$240,500
NE
$223,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

PA
$1,162
NE
$1,035

Nebraska generally does better on what about housing?, though Pennsylvania leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

PA
88.8%
NE
89.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

PA
27 min
NE
19 min

Nebraska performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PA
3.7%
NE
3.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PA
$61,506
NE
$73,391

Nebraska generally does better on employment & economy, though Pennsylvania leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

PA
76.8 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

PA
24%
NE
22%

Pennsylvania generally does better on family life, though Nebraska leads in life expectancy.

Weather in Nebraska vs Pennsylvania

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Philadelphia Rain: 41.5 in/yr (1055 mm)
65° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Omaha Rain: 31.2 in/yr (793 mm)
60° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Philadelphia Omaha
Jan–Mar 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) 39°/19°F (4°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/54°F (23°/12°C) 72°/49°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) 81°/60°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Philadelphia Omaha
Jan 40°/26°F (4.6°/-3.6°C) 32°/13°F (0.1°/-10.7°C)
Feb 44°/28°F (6.6°/-2.4°C) 36°/17°F (2.5°/-8.6°C)
Mar 53°/34°F (11.5°/1.3°C) 49°/27°F (9.6°/-3.0°C)
Apr 64°/44°F (17.7°/6.7°C) 62°/38°F (16.8°/3.1°C)
May 74°/54°F (23.2°/12.2°C) 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.0°C)
Jun 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.7°C) 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.3°C)
Jul 87°/69°F (30.6°/20.7°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.3°C)
Aug 85°/68°F (29.6°/19.9°C) 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.1°C)
Sep 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) 76°/53°F (24.2°/11.6°C)
Oct 67°/48°F (19.2°/9.1°C) 63°/41°F (17.4°/5.0°C)
Nov 56°/39°F (13.3°/4.0°C) 48°/28°F (8.8°/-2.3°C)
Dec 45°/30°F (7.1°/-1.1°C) 34°/16°F (1.0°/-9.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Nebraska than Pennsylvania?

Generally yes: Nebraska runs about 9% cheaper than Pennsylvania on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Nebraska?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,100 in Nebraska for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Nebraska safe?

Pennsylvania generally does better on safety, though Nebraska leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Nebraska compared to Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nebraska leads in diabetes rate.

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

The average high temperature in Omaha is 60°F, compared to 65°F in Philadelphia. Omaha receives around 31.2 in of rainfall per year, while Philadelphia gets 41.5 in.

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