Lincoln - for a few, not for most...
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5/7/2019
I grew up in this area and attended undergrad at the University of Nebraska. I moved away after college and only recently was recruited back for a position. As others have mentioned, Lincoln is a bit of an anomaly without a real identity, other than being just another small town in the Midwest. This is especially true for those that are not from here - oddly enough, folks that are from anywhere else are given the vibe that they don't belong. I would disagree quite emphatically with one poster that Lincoln sees individuals moving from coastal cities; having moved away for a decade and returning, I have not found this to be the case even in the slightest.
Who it's for: Lincoln is best suited for families that want a small town with more amenities than what a rural community can provide. Culturally, Lincoln has little to offer, so the expectation should be aligned with this reality.
The good: Housing is affordable. City is extremely safe. Schools are average. City/state has began to focus on "young professional" economies - microbrewing, tech, etc. Great trail system throughout city for biking/running
The bad: Very difficult if you're an "outsider" - my wife and I moved here from Charleston, SC - where she is from - and this was immediately apparent from how people treated her/us. You'll find that many people that live in Lincoln have moved here from smaller communities throughout Nebraska. I refer to Lincoln as "vanilla", which I feel best describes its culture and diversity, as well as its opportunity for activity. There really is not a lot to do here...like, at all. Because of it's geographic location, Lincoln is not accessible. We travel often, for pleasure and to return to the east coast to see our family and, while we use the Lincoln airport as much as possible, it is quite expensive. As mentioned in other posts, taxes are high, especially property taxes. There are a shockingly low number of quality restaurants for the size of community; although, chain restaurants are plentiful.
We enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle here - I believe that we'd be considered high income in this area - but find ourselves extremely bored and unfulfilled with the lifestyle. While we have lots of family and many friends here, we are currently planning to move because of the aforementioned things.
As a native, I would not recommend Lincoln, or Nebraska for those who are not interested in a small town lifestyle focused on family and school activities.
Stewart | Lincoln, NE