City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Green Bay, WI are 1.3% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $101,300 in Green Bay, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,919 a year in WI and $3,670 in NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Green Bay, WI to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,738 in Omaha | $101,278 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$249/yr.
73 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Green Bay, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$249/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Omaha, NE | Real change, Green Bay → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $62,670 | $63,471 (+4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $125,220 | $126,821 (+22.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $77,030 | $78,015 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $84,600 | $85,682 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.