Rent vs buy in Lincoln, NE

In Lincoln, Nebraska, the typical rent is $1,278 /mo and the typical home is $291,408.

Rent

Over 7 years, renting wins by $53k.

The basis is Lincoln's typical rent, typical home value, 20% down, and today's mortgage rate. Within 30 years, no break-even point is reached.

A clearly labeled opinion, with the math shown. These are estimates, not quotes. The stamp changes whenever a number changes.

How far renting leads: $53k
Break-even point: 30+ years
True cost of ownership: $2,739 per month

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Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lincoln?

If you include the money returned when you sell, renting is cheaper by $53,453 over 7 years. In each year shown, owning has a higher net cost than renting and never catches up within 30 years.

Rent. Cost of owning. Net costs so far, broken down by year.

Average rent compared with mortgage payments in Lincoln

Rent and mortgage payments aren't the whole story. Here are all monthly costs for year 1 at Lincoln's typical price.

Each month, year 1	Amount	What it is
Rent	$1,278	All of it, every month
Mortgage payment	$1,589	$1,400 of it is interest in year 1
Property tax	$369	1.52% of the value a year
Insurance	$132	Census median for the city
Upkeep	$243	1% of the value a year
Owning, cash out	$2,333	$188 of it builds equity
Lost return on the down payment	$474	What the cash would earn each year at 8.3%
Buying costs, spread out	$121	3.5% of the price over 7 years
True cost of owning	$2,739	Cash out minus the equity part, plus both lines above

Numbers behind the Lincoln verdict

Typical home valueZillow ZHVI, September 2026: $291,408
Typical rentZillow ZORI, September 2026: $1,278 /mo
Down payment20% avoids private mortgage insurance, which the engine does not model: 20%
Mortgage rateFreddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (FRED MORTGAGE30US): 7.24%
Home price growthFHFA house price index, Nebraska, 1995 to 2025: 4.1% a year
Rent growthCPI rent of primary residence, yearly growth 2006 to 2026: 3.5% a year
Return on savings60% S&P 500 with dividends and 40% 10-year Treasuries, rebalanced yearly, 1928 to 2025: 8.3% a year
Property taxCensus ACS 2020-2024, Lincoln: 1.52% of value
Home insuranceCensus ACS 2020-2024, Lincoln: $132 /mo
MaintenanceFannie Mae, low end of 1% to 4%: 1% of value a year
Buying costsFreddie Mac, middle of 2% to 5%: 3.5% of price
Selling costsAgent commission plus closing costs: 6% of price

What could change the result in Lincoln?

The 7-year verdict for Lincoln changes at the point shown on each line, while everything else stays as it is.

When renting wins

Home prices grow by less than 6.3% a year. Nebraska's long-run rate used here is 4.1%.
The mortgage rate remains over 3.95%.
Monthly rent for a similar home falls under $1,850, compared with the typical $1,278 here.
At these numbers, owning never catches up if you move at any point during the next 30 years.

When buying wins

Home prices increase by more than 6.3% each year.
You lock a mortgage rate under 3.95%, while today's rate is 7.24%.
You'd pay more than $1,850 a month to rent the same home.

Lincoln compared with the other 812 cities

Measure	Lincoln	Median city
Typical home value	$291,408	$422,451
Typical rent	$1,278 /mo	$1,837 /mo
Price-to-rent ratio	19.0 (#386 of 813)	18.5
Home prices, last 10 years	5.8% a year	6.2% a year
Rents, last 5 years	4.6% a year	4% a year
Property tax	1.52%	0.87%
Households that rent	44%	42%

Sources: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI, Census ACS 2020-2024.

More cities in Nebraska

In Omaha, NE, renting wins by $50k. Rent.
In Bellevue, NE, renting wins by $53k. Rent.
Renting wins by $24k in Grand Island, NE. Rent.

Nebraska's rent vs buy numbers