City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 5.4% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $105,400 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Omaha, NE to Tucson, AZ ($107,501 → $108,455), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,424 in Tucson | $94,855 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
53 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Omaha → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $62,893 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $76,095 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $91,205 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $108,455 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $128,162 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $47,220 | $44,791 (−28.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $123,710 | $117,346 (−6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $76,320 | $72,394 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $94,110 | $89,268 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.