Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Omaha's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Omaha?
Your $100,000 in Omaha has the same purchasing power as $112,120 in the average US city. You'd need $12,120 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Omaha's cost index of 89, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Omaha? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: your dollar carries more weight here and air quality you don't have to think about, plus 2 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Omaha sits at 89 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 11% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $1,099/mo against a typical household income of $70,202, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Omaha's air quality index averages about 35 — comfortably in the EPA's "good" range. No daily ritual of checking the AQI before going for a run, no smoky-day plans, no surprise asthma flare-ups for the kids. The kind of background condition you notice mostly by its absence.
The average one-way commute in Omaha is about 19 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
39% of adults 25 and over in Omaha hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Omaha's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes — and a lot of it. With winter averages near 18°F, Omaha sees real accumulation most years. Salt for the steps, tires that handle ice, and a sense of humor about February are the usual costs of admission.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Omaha averages roughly 18°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Omaha runs about 83°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Omaha falls in roughly USDA Zone 7. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Omaha is at about 1,178 feet (359 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
Higher than average. Omaha reports about 4,029 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the US average of around 3,500. Citywide numbers are often dragged up by a few hotspots; specific neighborhoods can be very safe in cities that don't look great on paper, and vice versa.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Omaha's composite cost-of-living index is 89, roughly 11% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Mostly car-dependent. Omaha's Walk Score of 31/100 means a handful of errands work on foot — depending on the neighborhood — but most residents still need a car for the rest. Transit Score is 35 out of 100.
Roughly $62,433 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Omaha runs about $1,099/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.