City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 3.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $103,800 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,703 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Omaha, NE ($110,865 → $107,501), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,373 in Omaha | $103,763 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,703/yr.
81 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,703/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Omaha, NE | Real change, Cincinnati → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,339 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $75,425 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $90,402 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $107,501 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $127,033 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $62,670 | $65,029 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $125,220 | $129,933 (+7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $77,030 | $79,929 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $84,600 | $87,784 (+4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.