City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 6.9% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $106,900 in Omaha, NE to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Brownsville, TX to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,904 in Omaha | $93,542 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Omaha, NE
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
49 Fair offer
Omaha, NE → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Omaha, NE | Real change, Brownsville → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $62,670 | $58,623 (−7.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $125,220 | $117,133 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $77,030 | $72,055 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $84,600 | $79,136 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.