City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 2.2% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $102,200 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,703 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Cleveland, OH to Omaha, NE ($111,138 → $107,501), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,858 in Omaha | $102,189 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/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 | $50,140 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,703/yr.
76 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,703/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Omaha, NE | Real change, Cleveland → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,339 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,425 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,402 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $107,501 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,033 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $62,670 | $64,042 (−16.3%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $125,220 | $127,961 (+15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $77,030 | $78,716 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $84,600 | $86,452 (+3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.