City comparison
Bellevue, NE is about 40 miles (70 km) from Lincoln, NE in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 56 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bellevue, NE to Lincoln, NE takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Lincoln has a population of 290,531, vs 63,336 in Bellevue — about 4.6× larger by population. By land area, Lincoln covers about 100 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Bellevue.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bellevue | Lincoln | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,141/mo | $998/mo | 14.3% higher in Bellevue |
| Median home value | $211,500 | $230,400 | 8.9% higher in Lincoln |
| Median household income | $79,839 | $67,846 | 17.7% higher in Bellevue |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Lincoln slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 77.8 | 78.2 | ≈ equal (Lincoln slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Lincoln slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellevue, you'd need $98,612 in Lincoln to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lincoln, NE is about 1.4% cheaper overall than Bellevue, NE, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Bellevue than in Lincoln. If you earn $80,000 in Bellevue, you'd need about $78,889 in Lincoln to keep the same standard of living.