Is Lincoln cheaper than Sioux Falls?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Lincoln and Sioux Falls metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Lincoln or Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls has the higher median household income — $82,509 versus $74,935 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 10% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Lincoln or Sioux Falls?

A paycheck stretches further in Sioux Falls. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $91,038 there versus $81,824 in Lincoln.

Which has cheaper rent, Lincoln or Sioux Falls?

Rents are close — $1,114/mo in the Lincoln metro versus $1,094/mo in Sioux Falls (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Lincoln vs Sioux Falls

Metro-area medians — Lincoln, NE Metro Area vs Sioux Falls, SD-MN Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Sioux Falls comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Lincoln and Sioux Falls cost about the same to live in, but Sioux Falls households earn about 10% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Sioux Falls.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Lincoln, NE

$58,339

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$63,702

real value after local prices

Sioux Falls, SD

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$67,652

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Sioux Falls leaves you about $3,950/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Lincoln

Sioux Falls

Livability (CityLedger)

63/100

77/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

91.6

90.6

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$81,824

$91,038

Median household income

$74,935

$82,509

Median rent

$1,114/mo

$1,094/mo

Median home value

$287,200

$331,400

Unemployment

3.3%

Bachelor's degree or higher

43.9%

39%

Average commute

20 min

18.6 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

52°F

47°F

Choose Lincoln for

+ Median home value
+ Bachelor's degree or higher

Full Lincoln profile →

Choose Sioux Falls for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Sioux Falls profile →

Lincoln vs Sioux Falls — frequently asked

Is Lincoln cheaper than Sioux Falls?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Lincoln and Sioux Falls metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Lincoln or Sioux Falls?: Sioux Falls has the higher median household income — $82,509 versus $74,935 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 10% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Lincoln or Sioux Falls?: A paycheck stretches further in Sioux Falls. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $91,038 there versus $81,824 in Lincoln.
Which has cheaper rent, Lincoln or Sioux Falls?: Rents are close — $1,114/mo in the Lincoln metro versus $1,094/mo in Sioux Falls (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).