City comparison
Omaha, NE vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 20.1% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $120,100 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.8% moving from Omaha, NE to San Jose, CA ($107,501 → $133,060), while prices change by +20.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,141 in San Jose | $83,235 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | San Jose, CA | Real change, Omaha → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $77,161 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $93,358 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $111,896 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $133,060 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $157,236 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $102,860 | $85,616 (+36.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $213,110 | $177,383 (+41.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $121,700 | $101,297 (+31.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $216,740 | $180,404 (+113.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.