City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 4.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $104,800 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Nashville, TN to Omaha, NE ($106,437 → $107,501), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,405 in Omaha | $104,817 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
84 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Omaha, NE | Real change, Nashville → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,339 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,425 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,402 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,501 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,033 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $62,670 | $65,689 (+6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $125,220 | $131,251 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $77,030 | $80,740 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $84,600 | $88,675 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.