City comparison
Omaha, NE is about 125 miles (200 km) from Urbandale, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Omaha, NE to Urbandale, IA takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Omaha has a population of 489,201, vs 45,591 in Urbandale — about 10.7× larger by population. By land area, Omaha covers about 145 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Urbandale.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Omaha | Urbandale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,099/mo | $1,108/mo | 0.8% higher in Urbandale |
| Median home value | $210,300 | $298,500 | 41.9% higher in Urbandale |
| Median household income | $70,202 | $111,888 | 59.4% higher in Urbandale |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Omaha slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 77.8 | 85.2 | 9.6% higher in Urbandale |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Omaha slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal (Omaha slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Omaha, you'd need $99,989 in Urbandale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Omaha and Urbandale have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Omaha, you'd need about $79,991 in Urbandale to keep the same standard of living.