City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Des Moines, IA (91.7) and Omaha, NE (91.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Des Moines, IA goes as far as $100,200 in Omaha, NE.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA and $1,148 in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $522 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Des Moines, IA to Omaha, NE ($107,301 → $107,501), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.0% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,229 in Omaha | $99,772 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$522/yr.
68 Fair offer
Omaha, NE → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$522/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Des Moines → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $62,339 | −0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $75,425 | −0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $90,402 | −0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $107,501 | −0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $127,033 | −0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,670 | $62,527 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $125,220 | $124,934 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $77,030 | $76,854 (−3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $84,600 | $84,407 (+7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.