City comparison
Austin, TX vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 6.7% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $106,700 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Austin, TX to Omaha, NE ($109,428 → $107,501), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,724 in Omaha | $106,697 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
90 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Omaha, NE | Real change, Austin → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,339 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,425 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $90,402 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $107,501 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $127,033 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $62,670 | $66,867 (+9.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $125,220 | $133,606 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $77,030 | $82,188 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $84,600 | $90,265 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.