City comparison
Lincoln, NE vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 26.2% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $126,200 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Lincoln, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Lincoln, NE to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +26.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lincoln, NE | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $126,241 in San Francisco | $79,213 in Lincoln |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $926/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,800 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lincoln, NE and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lincoln | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.2 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 76.8 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lincoln, NE → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lincoln, NE is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lincoln, NE to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lincoln, NE | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Lincoln → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lincoln, NE | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Lincoln dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,940 | $101,860 | $80,687 (+30.3%) |
| Software Developers | $101,690 | $186,640 | $147,844 (+45.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,170 | $110,730 | $87,713 (+34.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,530 | $186,610 | $147,820 (+68.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.