City comparison
Lincoln, NE is about 50 miles (70 km) from Omaha, 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 Lincoln, NE to Omaha, NE takes about 5 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Omaha has a population of 489,201, vs 290,531 in Lincoln — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Omaha covers about 145 sq mi vs 100 sq mi for Lincoln.
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 | Lincoln | Omaha | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $998/mo | $1,099/mo | 10.1% higher in Omaha |
| Median home value | $230,400 | $210,300 | 9.6% higher in Lincoln |
| Median household income | $67,846 | $70,202 | 3.5% higher in Omaha |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Lincoln slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 78.2 | 77.8 | ≈ 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 Lincoln, you'd need $101,260 in Omaha to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lincoln, NE is about 1.2% cheaper overall than Omaha, NE, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Omaha than in Lincoln. If you earn $80,000 in Lincoln, you'd need about $81,008 in Omaha to keep the same standard of living.