City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 1.2% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $101,200 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,057 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,246 in Omaha | $98,769 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,057/yr.
65 Fair offer
Omaha, NE → Baton Rouge, LA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,057/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Baton Rouge → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $62,670 | $61,899 (+4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $125,220 | $123,679 (+21.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $77,030 | $76,082 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $84,600 | $83,559 (+3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.