City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 12.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $112,800 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Olympia, WA to Omaha, NE ($119,630 → $107,501), while prices change by −11.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Olympia, WA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,657 in Omaha | $112,794 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
100 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Olympia → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,339 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,425 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,402 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $107,501 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $127,033 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $62,670 | $70,688 (−32.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $125,220 | $141,241 (+13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $77,030 | $86,885 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $84,600 | $95,424 (−23.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.