Relocating
Are you relocating to Lincoln from another country? See Arriving in the U.S. for more details about transitioning to the U.S. and getting settled in Nebraska.
With a population of 250,000, Lincoln offers students an affordable community ideal for pursuing graduate study. Nebraska has an overall cost of living that ranks below the national average in all major categories, including food, housing, utilities, transportation, and health care.
Enjoy median home prices of $130,000 and average rent for a two-bedroom apartment ranging from $525 to $650 a month. Low unemployment rates and predicted above-average growth rates give Lincoln an economy primed for development and opportunity. Lincoln's Chamber of Commerce details the economic outlook of the community and provides numerous resources for relocation.
On-Campus Housing
Most graduate students choose to live off-campus, but both residence halls and family housing are available through University Housing. Some residence halls offer year-round housing and most offer a dining service.
Three traditional residence halls, Husker Hall, Fedde Hall, and Selleck Quadrangle are most appealing to graduate students because some of the rooms within these buildings are reserved especially for graduate students, offer more freedom to students, and provide housing in prime locations on or near campus. Apartment-style residence halls, The Courtyards and The Village are also popular options.
Family Housing units include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for married couples and parents who are registered as full-time students. There is usually a six- to 12-month waiting list for these units.
Off-Campus Housing
When looking for housing off-campus, Nebraska Housing Search and NeighborWorks Lincoln are not-for-profit sites which advertise available rental properties. Both the Daily Nebraskan, UNL's student newspaper, and the Lincoln Journal Star, the city's daily newspaper, provide online classifieds for apartments, duplexes, homes, and rooms available for rent. Craigslist is another popular online resource that students use to locate off-campus housing.
There are several rental magazines you can order such as For Rent and Apartment Guide which showcase Lincoln rental properties.
Also, the city's two most comprehensive realtors Woods Bros Realty and Home Real Estate provide resources for purchasing a home as well as extensive listings of available properties.
Insurance, Utilities, and More
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers a student health insurance plan for students, their spouses, and dependents. Assistantship packages cover 79 percent of the plan for graduate students. If you are looking for other health insurance coverage, auto insurance, or other forms of insurance, the Nebraska Department of Insurance can help you find an insurance agent or insurance company that is licensed to do business in Nebraska.
- Mobile phone service providers in Lincoln include Alltel, AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, US Cellular, and Verizon as well as several others.
- Bank of the West, Cornhusker Bank, Pinnacle Bank, TierOne Bank, Union Bank and Trust Company, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, and West Gate Bank each have multiple branch locations in Lincoln.
- Electricity is provided by Lincoln Electric System.
- Water is provided by the City of Lincoln.
- Natural gas is provided by Black Hills Energy.
- Landline home phone service, broadband internet, and digital cable are provided by Windstream Communications.
- Digital home phone service, digital cable, and high-speed internet are provided by Time Warner Cable.
