City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Shreveport, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 8.4% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $108,400 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 $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,057 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Omaha, NE to Shreveport, LA ($107,501 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | Shreveport, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 84.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,226 in Shreveport | $108,429 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $44,820 |
| 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 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 52.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 72.6 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 84.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,057/yr.
95 Strong offer
Shreveport, LA → Omaha, NE
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,057/yr.
44 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Shreveport, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Shreveport, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Shreveport, LA | Real change, Omaha → Shreveport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $61,722 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $74,678 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $89,508 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $106,437 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $125,776 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Shreveport, LA | Shreveport pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $95,700 | $85,030 | $92,197 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $96,680 | $104,829 (−16.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $70,420 | $76,356 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $80,080 | $86,830 (+2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.