City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hagerstown, MD are 2.5% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $102,500 in Hagerstown, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $716 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Omaha, NE ($121,785 → $107,501), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,600 in Omaha | $102,459 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$716/yr.
76 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$716/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Omaha, NE | Real change, Hagerstown → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,339 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,425 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,402 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $107,501 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $127,033 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $62,670 | $64,211 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $125,220 | $128,299 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $77,030 | $78,924 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $84,600 | $86,680 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.