City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 6.3% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $106,300 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Kingsport, TN to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (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
| Kingsport, TN | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,321 in Omaha | $94,055 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Omaha, NE
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
50 Fair offer
Omaha, NE → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN 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 Kingsport, TN to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Omaha, NE | Real change, Kingsport → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $62,670 | $58,944 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $125,220 | $117,776 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $77,030 | $72,451 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $84,600 | $79,571 (+3.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.