Yahoo Finance 7 Best Places in Nebraska for a Couple to Live on Only Social Security Checks
Retire in Nebraska, and you’ll have plenty of company. Based on U.S. Census data, about 16% of the Cornhusker State’s 2 million residents are over the age of 65.
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Nebraska pulls in retirees with relatively low living costs, outdoor recreation opportunities and Midwest friendliness. Possible drawbacks include frigid winters and suboptimal access to healthcare in some parts of the state. Nebraska’s tax structure isn’t particularly friendly to retirees, with full taxes on retirement income, an inheritance tax and some of the highest property taxes in the country.
Nevertheless, Nebraska’s overall affordability makes it worth a look for cost-conscious retired couples, particularly if they are planning to live on just Social Security. Benefits for the average couple are currently about $3,593 a month.
If you’re eyeing the Cornhusker state for retirement, GOBankingRates has identified the top seven Nebraska destinations that blend Social Security-only budget friendliness with solid livability scores. Do be wary of relatively high healthcare costs. In each of the seven cities on our list, healthcare will run you at least 14% higher than the national average.
7. North Platte
Average rent: $883
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,545.29
Livability score: 72
North Platte is a city of about 23,000 located in west-central Nebraska, roughly half-way between Omaha and Cheyenne, Wyoming, along Interstate 80. Old West icon Buffalo Bill Cody’s ranch, now the Buffalo Bill State Historical Park, is just north of town.
North Platte offers the lowest average monthly rent in our top 10, but also the lowest livability score from AreaVibes. There are things to see and experience though, including Cody Park and the Cody Park Railroad Museum, the 20th Century Veterans Memorial, breweries, wineries and outdoor recreation.
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6. Papillion
Average rent: $1,520
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,991.42
Livability score: 84
Papillion’s motto is “Feels like home,” and this Omaha suburb does have the second highest livability score in our top 10.
Attractions include the Halleck Park recreation area and many historic buildings. There’s also Triple A baseball — the Omaha Storm Chasers play their home games at Werner Park just outside of the city. Grocery and utility costs are right on national averages.
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5. La Vista
Average rent: $1,185
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,646.94
Livability score: 78
This Omaha suburb is a relatively young city, having been incorporated in 1960. Since then, La Vista has grown from a modest subdivision into the home of about 18,000 residents.
Attractions for retirees include 17 parks, senior recreation programs and groceries for two that cost about $391 a month, below the national average.
4. Fremont
Average rent: $952
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,415.92
Livability score: 74
Fremont offers the lowest average monthly cost of living and the second-lowest average rent in our list. Home to about 27,000 residents and Midland University, Fremont is located in eastern Nebraska, about 45 minutes northwest of Omaha by car.
In addition to its sub-$1,000 monthly rents, Fremont offers cost-conscious retired couples grocery costs of about $383 a month, the lowest in our list.
3. Omaha
Average rent: $1,276
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,728.64
Livability score: 82
With about 488,000 residents, Omaha is Nebraska’s most populous city. Its many attractions include the highly rated Henry Doorly Zoo, the historic Old Market district, the annual College Word Series, the Omaha Community Playhouse and numerous other cultural offerings.
Omaha is relatively affordable for a city of its size, with living costs within the budgets of many Social Security-only couples. It is located on the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska, about 185 miles northwest of Kansas City, Missouri.
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2. Lincoln
Average rent: $1,200
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,759.29
Livability score: 83
Nebraska’s capital may be best-known as the home of the University of Nebraska and its Cornhusker athletic teams — particularly its football team. It also boasts more than 130 parks, the Sunken Gardens and the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, along with numerous cultural attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Lincoln is home to approximately 293,000 residents. It is located about an hour southwest of Omaha in the eastern part of the state.
1. Bellevue
Average rent: $1,214
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,672.39
Livability score: 86
Bellevue offers the highest livability score in our top 10, but its average monthly cost of living is well within reach for the average couple living on just Social Security. Located just south of Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, Bellevue has seen steady population growth in recent decades and now has about 65,000 residents.
It offers tree-lined streets, 600 acres of parks and the Fontenelle Forest. Groceries for a retired couple cost about $387 a month, roughly three percent below the national average.
Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best cities in Nebraska for a couple to live on only Social Security checks based on the average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,796.31 ($3,592.62 for a couple), sourced from Social Security Administration. GOBankingRates first isolated all cities in Nebraska with a 2023 average monthly rent under $2,200 and a size rank below 4,000th. GOBankingRates then used Sperling’s Best Places to find the cost-of-living index for each listed city, looking at grocery and healthcare index scores. Next, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for groceries (“food at home”), utilities and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older in order to find how much a couple 65 and over would spend on groceries, utilities and healthcare in each city on a monthly basis. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, utilities and healthcare costs together to find where a couple 65 and older could survive on their Social Security or less. To qualify for the study, cities had to have a livability score above 65 as sourced from AreaVibes. GOBankingRates scored and combined both livability and the monthly necessities expenditure, with the lowest score being best, to determine final rankings. All data was collected and is up to date as of December 5, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Best Places in Nebraska for a Couple to Live on Only Social Security Checks
