What salary do you need to live in Omaha, NE?
For a single person: about $67,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose NE-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,368 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 4.0% Nebraska income tax.
What jobs here actually pay: the typical Omaha worker earns about $49,660/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — below the $54,500 a single person needs to cover local essentials, so a median local job alone runs 9% short.
Single person — est. essentials $3,683/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,683/mo
$54,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,420/mo
$67,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,525/mo
$87,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,943/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,943/mo
$71,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,932/mo
$86,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,415/mo
$110,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,098/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,098/mo
$89,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,318/mo
$108,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,147/mo
$139,500/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,992/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,992/mo
$103,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,390/mo
$126,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,488/mo
$164,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,368) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Nebraska's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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