City comparison
Houston, TX vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.3% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $107,300 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.4% moving from Houston, TX to Omaha, NE ($122,749 → $107,501), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,189 in Omaha | $107,309 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
92 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Omaha, NE | Real change, Houston → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,339 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $75,425 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $90,402 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $107,501 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $127,033 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $62,670 | $67,251 (+4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $125,220 | $134,373 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $77,030 | $82,660 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $84,600 | $90,784 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.