City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Harrisburg, PA are 7.3% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $107,300 in Harrisburg, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Omaha, NE ($108,592 → $107,501), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,169 in Omaha | $107,332 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
92 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Harrisburg → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,339 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,425 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $90,402 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $107,501 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $127,033 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $62,670 | $67,265 (−12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $125,220 | $134,401 (+22.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $77,030 | $82,678 (+8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $84,600 | $90,803 (−6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.