City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Scranton, PA are 1.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $101,800 in Scranton, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Omaha, NE to Scranton, PA ($107,501 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,790 in Scranton | $98,242 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
63 Fair offer
Scranton, PA → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Scranton, PA | Real change, Omaha → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $61,722 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $74,678 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $89,508 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $106,437 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $125,776 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $76,590 | $75,243 (+20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $119,960 | $117,851 (−5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $70,480 | $69,241 (−10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $82,650 | $81,197 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.