Is Champaign cheaper than Lincoln?

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

Which has higher household income, Champaign or Lincoln?

Lincoln has the higher median household income — $74,935 versus $64,980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 15% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Champaign or Lincoln?

A paycheck stretches further in Lincoln. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $81,824 there versus $70,094 in Champaign.

Which has cheaper rent, Champaign or Lincoln?

Rents are close — $1,103/mo in the Champaign metro versus $1,114/mo in Lincoln (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Champaign vs Lincoln

Metro-area medians — Champaign-Urbana, IL Metro Area vs Lincoln, NE Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Lincoln comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Champaign and Lincoln cost about the same to live in, but Lincoln households earn about 15% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Lincoln.

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

Champaign, IL

$57,601

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$62,134

real value after local prices

Lincoln, NE

$58,339

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$63,702

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Lincoln leaves you about $1,567/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

Champaign

Lincoln

Livability (CityLedger)

56/100

63/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

92.7

91.6

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$70,094

$81,824

Median household income

$64,980

$74,935

Median rent

$1,103/mo

$1,114/mo

Median home value

$216,500

$287,200

Unemployment

2.9%

3.3%

Bachelor's degree or higher

44.8%

43.9%

Average commute

18.5 min

20 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

52°F

Choose Champaign for

+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute

Full Champaign profile →

Choose Lincoln for

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

Full Lincoln profile →

Champaign vs Lincoln — frequently asked

Is Champaign cheaper than Lincoln?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Champaign and Lincoln metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Champaign or Lincoln?: Lincoln has the higher median household income — $74,935 versus $64,980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 15% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Champaign or Lincoln?: A paycheck stretches further in Lincoln. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $81,824 there versus $70,094 in Champaign.
Which has cheaper rent, Champaign or Lincoln?: Rents are close — $1,103/mo in the Champaign metro versus $1,114/mo in Lincoln (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).