City comparison
Austin, TX vs Lincoln, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 7.1% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $107,100 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Lincoln, NE than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Lincoln, NE ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Lincoln, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,387 in Lincoln | $107,081 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Lincoln, NE.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 84.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 76.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
91 Strong offer
Lincoln, NE → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
48 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Lincoln, NE is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Lincoln, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Lincoln, NE | Real change, Austin → Lincoln |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $134,100 | $78,190 | $83,727 (−37.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $101,690 | $108,891 (−18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $65,170 | $69,785 (−16.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $87,530 | $93,728 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.