City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 8.9% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $108,900 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $897 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.5% moving from Atlanta, GA to Omaha, NE ($112,556 → $107,501), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,858 in Omaha | $108,864 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$897/yr.
96 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$897/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Atlanta → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,339 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,425 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,402 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,501 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $127,033 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $62,670 | $68,225 (−10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $125,220 | $136,320 (+2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $77,030 | $83,858 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $84,600 | $92,099 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.