City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 1.3% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $101,300 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $288 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Louisville, KY to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,750 in Omaha | $101,265 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Omaha, NE
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$288/yr.
73 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Louisville, KY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$288/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Omaha, NE | Real change, Louisville → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $62,670 | $63,463 (+3.0%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $125,220 | $126,804 (+15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $77,030 | $78,005 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $84,600 | $85,670 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.