Why Choose Omaha as a Place to Live – Check it Out!

With a population of nearly 500,000 in the city of Omaha, and a population nearing 1M in the metro area, Omaha has much to offer as a place to consider ‘home’. It is the largest city in Nebraska and is a great place to raise a family (Forbes ranked Omaha #8 on its list of best places to raise a family), pursue continuing education, find affordable housing, visit art galleries and museums, advance a career, enjoy a great steak, listen to some great music, or cheer on one of the state’s college teams. Look at some of the other benefits of living in Omaha:

1)      Affordable housing options – this is true whether you’re a renter or a buyer. Renters pay approximately $100/month less than the national medium. Omaha was ranked by smartasset.com as the #2 city where renters can afford to live alone. As for owning homes, the city offers a better value than similarly sized metro areas when comparing housing costs to median household income.

2)      Low cost of living – Omaha ranks 8-10% lower than the national average. The necessities like utilities, groceries, and healthcare are more affordable in Omaha than other big U.S. Metropolitan areas.

3)      Thriving Job Market and Career Growth Opportunities – diversity abounds from healthcare, technology, manufacturing, education, and more. Four Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Omaha – Peter Kiewit Sons, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, and Berkshire Hathaway. According to midweststartups.com, Omaha ranked as the #17 startup city in the U.S.

4)      Museums, Art Galleries, Music, Zoo, Gardens – so much culture and fun to be had. Visit the Joslyn Art Museum or the Durham Museum where you can find anything from contemporary to historical artifacts. One of the most recognizable indie labels, Saddle Creek Records, is based in downtown Omaha with releases from Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, and 311. You’ll find these bands and many more playing every night in one of the many rock clubs throughout the city. Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a ‘must see’. Ranked as one of the best zoos in the country, it’s known for the diversity and number of animals, and its one-of-a-kind exhibits. A trip to Nebraska’s premier botanical garden, Lauritzen Gardens, will not disappoint.

5)      Travelling Convenience – situated at the crossing of two major interstates, you can quickly drive anywhere you need to go from Omaha. Eppley Airfield, a commercial airport, provides domestic and international flights, adding further convenience for your travels.

6)      Food, Food, Food – yes, the steaks are AWESOME (think Omaha Steaks)! Enjoy a Reuben – said to have been invented by Reuben Kulakofsky one night at a poker game at the Blackstone Hotel. You must try a Runza – a regional cuisine of Nebraska featuring ground beef, cheese, and cabbage baked inside a roll. Some commentators call it “as Nebraskan as Cornhusker football.” Insurify.com named Omaha ‘Best Foodie City in Nebraska.’

7)      Performing Arts – year-round entertainment is available at The Holland Performing Arts Center, The Orpheum, Rose Theater, Omaha Community Playhouse, The Blue Barn Theater, and the CHI Health Center Arena.

8)      Sporting Events – there is simply nothing that compares to attending a Husker football game...Memorial Stadium holds enough people to turn the stadium into the third largest city in Nebraska on game days. Creighton basketball is also a huge draw. Omaha Storm Chasers baseball plays in Triple A. The U.S. Olympic Swim Trials occur every four years in Omaha, and each June, The NCAA Men’s Baseball College World Series is held in the area. Aksarben Stock Show and Rodeo provides a taste of Omaha’s Wild West heritage.

9)      Everyone is Nebraska Nice – “Nebraska Nice” was the state’s tourism motto for a time. Time and again you will hear ‘transplants’ affirm this to be a true statement. Midwestern values of neighborliness and friendliness are held in high esteem – as seen in Nebraska’s current motto, “the good life”.

10)  Old Market – 100+ years old brick paved roads, awesome restaurants, speakeasies, nightlife, arts, unique shops and storefronts, and carriage rides await you in this lively part of Omaha.

11)  Four Season Weather – while this may not be for everyone, Omaha definitely taps into all of the four seasons. Let’s just say, ‘you won’t get bored’ with the weather in Omaha as it’s not uncommon to experience fifty-degree temperature fluctuations in a 24-hour period. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in the summer and hit below zero degrees in the winter. So…you can expand your wardrobe because you’ll need a full range of hot and cold-weather wear.

12)  Nebraska Notables – leaders, celebrities, and sports stars born in Omaha include: Malcom X, Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire, President Gerald Ford, Henry Fonda, Nick Nolte, Bob Gibson, Gabrielle Union, Nicholas Sparks, Terence Crawford, Andrew Rannells, and Alexander Payne.

13)  Omaha Chamber Rankings – here are just a few of Omaha’s rankings as seen on the Omaha Chamber’s website: #8 City for work/life balance (coworkingcafe.com), #14 Best city for young professionals                 (es-us.finanzas.yahoo.com), #9 Best places to live for families (realestate.usnews.com), #15 Best big city to live in (newsbreak.com), #13 Best city to live in America (livability.com).

What’s it like to live in Omaha, NE? According to Angela Berry of U.S. News – “Omaha has long been a place of convergence. In the mid-1800s, it served as the easternmost point of the first transcontinental railroad. Today, its location at the heart of the country has earned Omaha a reputation as a flyover city. But those who live in Omaha know there’s more to this metro area than most outsiders realize.

 It’s a region that celebrates and treasures the past while warmly embracing change and growth. The metro area that once brought you TV dinners and Reuben sandwiches now house fancy seafood restaurants and hip vegan options (though you’ll never have trouble finding a hearty steak). And while ranchers continue to raise cattle on the sprawling prairies surrounding the region, Omaha proper has begun to attract a number of budding new tech startups.

Affordability and a strong economy attract young professionals, while safety, a plethora of education options and family-friendly activities appeal to those with kids.”