Topeka → Lincoln
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Topeka to Lincoln is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.8 to 91.6 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $84/mo.
- +$1,748
- BLS median salary higher in Lincoln
- 456 to 217
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 13.8:1 to 13.5:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,080
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Lincoln
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - $84/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 88.8 to 91.6 (ratio 1.03), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $84/mo ($1,008/yr) from $1,057 in Topeka to $1,141 in Lincoln.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Lincoln sits #24 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Topeka is #153/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $1,748 higher ($64,149 → $65,897). Labor-market size: 108,560 tracked jobs at origin vs 174,050 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Kansas 63 (C, #21/51) vs Nebraska 67 (C, #16/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 68
- Property tax
- 61
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 54
- Income tax
- 65
- Property tax
- 62
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 66
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Topeka to see what you'd need to earn in Lincoln to maintain the same purchasing power.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026