2025 Compare Cities Economy:
Omaha, NE vs Ames, IA

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Highlights
- Household income in Ames, is 17% less than it is in Omaha and is 27% below the National Average.
- Omaha unemployment rate is 3.4%.
- Ames unemployment rate is 2.7%.
 Omaha, NEAmes, IAUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock2.7%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock2.3%1.6%
 Future Job Growth30.2%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes7.0%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock7.4%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$36,749  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$54,339$69,021
 Family Median Income$84,960  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Omaha, NEAmes, IAUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock16.1%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K3.5%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock8.4%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K8.4%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock8.8%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K8.1%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock10.6%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K13.7%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock14.2%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K6.7%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock5.1%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Omaha, NEAmes, IAUnited States
 Management, business, finance16.9%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock12.7%6.5%
 Community, social services1.9%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.3%1.2%
 Education, library6.4%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock1.8%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology6.7%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock3.7%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.6%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock8.4%5.4%
 Building maintenance3.1%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock3.6%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support21.7%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock1.3%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair7.6%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock8.8%13.1%
Reviews for Omaha    122 Reviews

Over 2 years ago

Born and raised in Omaha, moved to the Pacific Northwest for 50 years, and now back in Omaha. Feels safe, secure, good health care, lots of activities. Compared to  More

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Over 2 years ago

Many of the reviews say Omaha is good for family life - it is, but it also offers the best of quality urban living. I've lived here for 20 years, after living in  More

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Pros: Not much happens, no news is good news. No major tornadoes for decades!! Education can be good in areas. Career opportunities for those who take risks and  More

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Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

Hello, I am in San Jose Ca, but am seriously thinking of moving somewhere much slower for a better quality of living. I've just turned 59, so I'm kinda preparing for  More

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Over 13 years ago

Like every other city Ames has both good and bad points. The good points are: low cost of living, very friendly people, lots of outdoor activities and quite a few events  More

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Ames enjoys a high quality of life at a very affordable cost, substantially lower than many other communities. The presence of Iowa State University, a large (28,000  More

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