Relocation report 2026

Moving from Kansas to Nebraska

Moving to Nebraska on the same salary slightly raises your real buying power (+1.5%); about $73,700 there would match what you have now. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.

About 220 miles by road
Equal salary in NE
$73,700
matches $75,000 in KS
Take-home change per year
+$852
same $75,000 salary, after 2026 taxes
Moving cost (2–3 BR)
$320–$4,990
truck to full-service
Households made this move
1,161
IRS, 2022–2023
Your income

Equal salary in NE: $73,700

To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $73,700 in Nebraska to match $75,000 in Kansas ($1,300 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.

Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.

Take-home in KS
$58,207
22.4% total tax
Take-home in NE
$59,060
21.3% total tax
Take-home change per year
+$852
same salary, after moving
Purchasing power
+1.5%
prices about the same
Renting: yearly change after selected costs
+$740
take-home change − rent change ($1,079 → $1,102/mo) − power bill change
Buying the median home (20% down): yearly change after selected costs
-$1,427
take-home change − change in monthly cost to own the median home ($1,680 → $1,884/mo: 30-year mortgage at the current 6.95% average rate, property tax, insurance) − power bill change

These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.

2026 taxes on a $75,000 salary in Kansas and Nebraska
Tax on $75,000KansasNebraska
Federal income tax$7,670$7,670
Social Security + Medicare$5,738$5,738
State income tax$3,385$2,533
State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit)$0$0
Take-home pay$58,207$59,060

Key facts: Kansas to Nebraska

Median rent
$1,079 → $1,102/mo
Median home value
$238,700 → $263,100
Price level (U.S. = 100)
90.1 → 90.1
Road distance
≈ 220 miles
Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
Above average (71.3 → 70.1 of 100)

What changes when you move to Nebraska

Yearly rent at the state median
Kansas$12,948
Nebraska$13,224

Who moves from Kansas to Nebraska

In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 1,161 households (1,947 people) filed their taxes in Nebraska after filing in Kansas the year before. That makes Nebraska the #7 destination for people leaving Kansas. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $54,951. Going the other way, 1,267 households moved from Nebraska to Kansas, a net loss of 106 households for Nebraska.

Five-year trend

Moves from Kansas to Nebraska peaked in 2021–22 at 1,217 households, then fell 5% by 2022–23. That is still up 5% from 2018–19.

Households moving KS → NE, by IRS tax year
2018–191,109
2019–201,175
2020–211,142
2021–221,217
2022–231,161

Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.

Cost to move from Kansas to Nebraska

Moving cost: $320–$4,990

Moving about 220 miles from Kansas to Nebraska costs roughly $320 – $4,990, depending on how much of the work you hire out.

Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).

Moving methodTypical range
Rental truck (DIY)
Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time.
$320 – $660
Moving container
You pack and load; the company drives the container.
$1,100 – $2,070
Full-service movers
Packing, loading, transport and unloading.
$1,840 – $4,990

These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.

A rental truck also burns about 22 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.

Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.

Shipping a car from Kansas to Nebraska

Car shipping: $590–$900

Shipping a sedan from Kansas to Nebraska on an open carrier costs about $590–$900, typically 1–4 days in transit over about 220 miles.

Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.

Kansas vs Nebraska take-home pay at every salary

Salary needed in Nebraska to match each Kansas salary, and take-home pay in both states (single filer, 2026 taxes)
SalaryEqual salary in NETake-home changeTake-home in KSTake-home in NE
$50,000$49,200+$595$40,365$40,960
$75,000$73,700+$852$58,207$59,060
$100,000$98,300+$1,110$74,400$75,510
$150,000$147,500+$1,625$106,221$107,846
$250,000$245,700+$2,655$170,032$172,687

Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.

Cost of living: Kansas vs Nebraska

Prices, rent, home values and taxes in Kansas and Nebraska
MeasureKansasNebraska
Overall price level (U.S. = 100)90.190.1
Housing price index71.275.2
Utilities price index88.475.6
Goods price index94.094.1
Median rent (monthly)$1,079$1,102
Median home value$238,700$263,100
Median property tax (yearly)$2,983$3,739
Electricity (residential)15.71¢/kWh13.25¢/kWh
State sales tax rate6.5%5.5%
Median household income$75,514$76,376

Renting and buying: Kansas vs Nebraska

Cost to rent or buy the median home in Kansas and Nebraska
MeasureKansasNebraska
Income to rent the median home (30% rule)$43,160$44,080
Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down)$1,680$1,884
Income needed to buy the median home$71,999$80,722
Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage)$2,008$2,144
Infant child care (center, yearly)$15,156$18,147

Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Nebraska for other down payments.

Your yearly budget: Kansas vs Nebraska

On a $75,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $42,244 a year in Kansas and $42,078 in Nebraska if you rent: $166 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $49,456 and $51,456 ($2,000 more).

Your yearly budget, before vs after
Yearly costs on a $75,000 salary in Kansas and Nebraska; change is Nebraska minus Kansas
Yearly costKSNEChange
Income and payroll taxes
on $75,000, single filer
$16,793$15,940-$853
Electricity
state average bill
$1,487$1,323-$164
Car insurance
one car, state average
$973$981+$8
Gas
12,000 miles at 25 mpg
$2,003$2,090+$87
Health insurance
one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies
$8,040$8,520+$480
If you rent
Rent
median, 12 months
$12,948$13,224+$276
Total if you rent$42,244$42,078-$166
If you buy the median home (20% down)
Mortgage payment
median home, 20% down, 6.95%
$15,169$16,719+$1,550
Property tax
median home
$2,983$3,739+$756
Homeowners insurance
state median, with a mortgage
$2,008$2,144+$136
Total if you buy$49,456$51,456+$2,000

Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).

State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.

Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.

Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $15,156 a year in Kansas and $18,147 in Nebraska (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).

Cost of living in Nebraska cities: Omaha.

After you arrive in Nebraska

Frequently asked questions

How much salary do I need in Nebraska to live like I do in Kansas?

A $75,000 salary in Kansas works out to about $73,700 in Nebraska once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $98,300.

Will I pay less tax in Nebraska than in Kansas?

Yes, about $852 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $75,000 salary (22.4% of pay in Kansas vs 21.3% in Nebraska). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.

How much does it cost to move from Kansas to Nebraska?

For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 220 miles, expect roughly $320–$660 with a rental truck, $1,100–$2,070 with a moving container, or $1,840–$4,990 with full-service movers.

Are more people moving from Kansas to Nebraska?

Moves from Kansas to Nebraska peaked in 2021–22 at 1,217 households, then fell 5% by 2022–23. That is still up 5% from 2018–19.

How many people move from Kansas to Nebraska?

IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 1,161 households (1,947 people) moved from Kansas to Nebraska, making Nebraska the #7 destination for people leaving Kansas. 1,267 households moved the other way.

Is Nebraska cheaper than Kansas?

Overall prices in Nebraska are about the same as in Kansas (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,102 vs $1,079 a month.

Compare other moves

Where people from Kansas actually move

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