City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 20.9% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $120,900 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, 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 Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.3% moving from Omaha, NE to Seattle, WA ($107,501 → $119,630), while prices change by +20.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.0% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Omaha, NE | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,914 in Seattle | $82,704 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Seattle, WA | Real change, Omaha → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $69,373 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $83,935 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $100,602 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $119,630 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $141,367 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $102,920 | $85,119 (+35.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $167,280 | $138,347 (+10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $99,370 | $82,183 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $128,260 | $106,076 (+25.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.