Lincoln, NE — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Nebraska·Lincoln

Lancaster County · Lincoln · population 300,619

First-time buyersBig-city amenities
Lincoln, NE
Image: Wikipedia · Lincoln, Nebraska
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
70
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lincoln stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.1% in the last year.

Median home $293,233
1-year +4.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$293k$151k$202k$254k$305k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,338/mo$970$1,194$1,418202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent130130100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.3
Lean buy

At a 18.3 price-to-rent ratio, Lincoln is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
70 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
61 · w16%
Rent YoY
60 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Lincoln has held up across the cycle: home values at $293,233 with +5.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Lincoln's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Lincoln

Lincoln is a city in Lancaster County, Nebraska, with an estimated population of 300,619. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Lincoln is $293,233 as of 2026-04, up 4.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Lincoln average $1,338 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.3%). The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Lincoln (Wikipedia)

Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers 103.9 square miles (269.1 km2) and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 72nd-most populous in the United States. The county seat of Lancaster County, Lincoln is the economic and cultural anchor of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area, home to approximately 345,000 people.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorLeirion Gaylor Baird
Area103.90 sq mi
Elevation1201 ft
Founded1856 (Lancaster)
NicknameStar City
Density2893.35/sq mi
Named forAbraham Lincoln government_type = Strong mayor–council

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Lincoln(Tourism)

  • Sunken Gardens
  • Lincoln Children's Zoo
  • Dairy Store
  • University of Nebraska State Museum
  • Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed
  • Lester F. Larsen Tractor Museum

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Lancaster County right now.

NWS active alerts (NE)Nebraska Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Lancaster County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Lincoln

48 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Capitol Beach$583,581+8.3%
2High Ridge-Cushman$461,783+7.5%
3Crown Pointe$434,418+1.9%
4Family Acres$428,789+3.2%
5Southern Hills$371,879+2.9%
6Yankee Hill$371,200+9.7%
7Porter Ridge$364,186+4.5%
8Country Club$356,323+6.0%
9Taylor Park$341,175+3.8%
10Colonial Hills$339,125+4.0%
11Bishop Park$327,170+5.3%
12Indian Hills$319,850+0.4%
13Bicentennial Estates$307,988+2.5%
14Highlands$306,529+5.3%
15Downtown$296,776+1.4%
16Eastridge$293,119+2.8%
17Far South$292,714+2.7%
18Maple Village-Wedgewood$288,039+3.0%
19Bethany$275,272+4.2%
20West A$274,385+4.3%
21Salt Valley View$271,140+3.2%
22Greater South$269,797+6.0%
23Landons$264,396+3.8%
24College View$264,096+5.2%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Lincoln

Bellevue, NE69 · RisingColumbus, NE74 · RisingHastings, NE68 · RisingNorfolk, NE74 · Rising

Run the numbers for Lincoln

ToolCan I afford Lincoln?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Lincoln rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Lincoln to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLincoln cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 14°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
86° / 63°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
221
~61% of year
Annual precip
23″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Lincoln listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Lincoln area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$71,700
Nebraska state median
Top industries (state-level)
AgricultureInsurance (Berkshire)Manufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Lincoln

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