City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 9.9% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $109,900 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Omaha, NE to Reno, NV ($107,501 → $106,855), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,904 in Reno | $90,988 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
41 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Reno, NV | Real change, Omaha → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $61,965 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $74,972 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $89,859 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $106,855 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $126,271 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $62,430 | $56,804 (−9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $125,710 | $114,381 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $82,370 | $74,947 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $107,520 | $97,831 (+15.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.