The Greater Omaha Area

Since its founding in 1856, Omaha has been one of the principal gateways to the West. Today, the city and its suburbs are a thriving metropolitan community of nearly 800,000 people.  With small town friendliness and the cosmopolitan flair of a big city, Omaha offers the best of both worlds boasting a wide variety of cultural amenities, excellent schools, abundant recreational opportunities and beautiful homes to fit any style.

Quality of Living

Omaha is large enough to offer a variety of cosmopolitan attractions, yet is small enough to provide a relaxed life style, which is the envy of many urban dwellers. The strength of the lifestyle is reflected in the numerous high rankings the area has been given by the national media.

• Eleventh best city for Business and Careers (Forbes)
• Among the Top 25 Cities for “Best Educated Workforce” (Business Facilities –2005)
• One of the top 10 cities for raising a family (Parenting Magazine)
• Omaha is in top 12% of best places to live (Places Rated Almanac)
• Tenth most livable state (Morgan Quitno)
• Creighton University ranked first among Midwest universities (U.S. News & World Report)

Omaha's quality of living and level of community services have contributed significantly to the attraction of new business and industry. In addition to diverse recreational and cultural opportunities, Omaha has a strong infrastructure important to day-to-day living and one that is sure to support future growth. The sections below highlight Omaha's unique lifestyle by presenting cost of living, climate, recreation and entertainment attractions and cultural offerings.

Cost of Living

While there is so much to see, do and enjoy in Omaha, it is all at a cost below the national average. A recent survey of over 300 U.S. cities reveals that the relative price levels for consumer goods and services in Omaha are 11% below the national index of 100 for six major components of grocery items, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services.

As the above indicates, Omaha housing is also reasonably priced compared to other areas of the country. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median price for an existing home in the Omaha metro area was $132,400, compared to the United States median of $188,800, a difference of 30 percent.
There are also ample rental accommodations located throughout the city. According to a local survey by the National Institute of Real Estate Management, the average cost to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Omaha is $698 per month.

Population

The City of Omaha has a population of just over 402,000 and is surrounded by a number of suburban communities. The population of the Omaha metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is 801,189 with over 1.1 million within a 60-minute drive. The Omaha (MSA) consists of Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Cass and Washington counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie, Harrison and Mills counties in Iowa.

Climate

Omaha has a continental climate with warm summers and dry winters. According to the National Climatic Data Center, most of the precipitation in Omaha occurs from April through September in the form of showers or thunderstorms in the evening hours. Only ten percent of total annual precipitation falls during the winter months.
The accompanying table highlights average temperatures and precipitation for the Omaha area. On average, the warmest month of the year is July and the coldest is February. May and June are typically the months with the most precipitation.

Education

Nebraskans are serious about providing educational opportunities to all citizens. This state wide commitment is illustrated by the fact that Nebraska ranked sixth in the nation for the public high school graduation rates. Schools in the Omaha area boast of graduation rates over 90 percent. Statewide ACT and SAT scores consistently rank among the best in the nation. The people of Omaha pride themselves on the excellent educational resources available within the area.
In the Omaha Public Schools system, students are prepared for life in a world where understanding and appreciation of diversity are essential.

Diversity is abundant in the Omaha Public Schools, which enrolls about 46,000 students of various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.Students learn to work and play side by side - sharing discoveries and solving problems together.
In the Omaha Public Schools, excellence is the standard ansd the overall goal is to provide all students with the high-quality instruction needed to prepare for life in tomorrow's high-tech world. For a complete list of Omaha Schools included phone numbers addresses and detailed information, Click Here for our Omaha Schools featured page.

Recreation/Entertainment

Omaha has always offered a wide variety of recreation and entertainment opportunities but in recent months, has taken the next leap forward with a convention center and arena. The Qwest Center Omaha, a new $290 million facility completed in the fall of 2003, is bringing thousands of people to Omaha to see a variety of musical, sporting and professional events and conventions held there. The arena ranked 8th in the world for ticket sales during the first half of 2005. The facility offers a 17,000-seat arena and over 240,000 square feet of convention space. The facility has hosted regional and national conventions as well as national entertainment acts. The Qwest Center has attracted acts such as U2, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Grand Funk Railroad, Matchbox 20, Britney Spears, Shania Twain and many more.

In close proximity to the Qwest Center is a historic area that has been transformed into a retail and residential destination. The Old Market, a unique eating, shopping and entertainment area, is centered in Omaha's former fruit and vegetable warehouse and market district. One of Omaha's most popular tourist attractions, the Old Market is home to numerous specialty shops, cappuccino shops, breweries, restaurants, taverns, galleries, nightclubs and bakeries. In recent years, the Old Market has also become a popular place to live. Several historic buildings have been transformed into trendy loft apartments adding to the vitality of the area.

Spectator sports are also available year-round to local sports fans. The Omaha Royals (AAA farm club of the Kansas City Royals) call Rosenblatt Stadium home. Omaha is also home to the U.S. Hockey League team, the River City Lancers. A number of collegiate teams also provide area sports fans something to cheer about throughout the year. Springtime is baseball time, as thousands of local and visiting fans attend the NCAA College World Series held every June in Omaha. Last year, over 220,000 were in attendance throughout the two-week event.

If you prefer the outdoors, Omaha offers a variety of activities for all seasons including golf, softball, hunting, skiing, horseback riding and hiking, among others. The City of Omaha administers approximately 10,500 acres of parks and 13 neighborhood recreation centers. Within the metropolitan area are lakes suitable for boating, sailing, fishing and a number of other activities; more than 45 golf courses; over 1,700 softball teams to join; as well as a variety of other sports opportunities. Less than an hour's drive of Omaha is an additional 4,500 acres of Nebraska state parks suitable for camping, hiking, boating and fishing.

Cultural Offerings

As Omaha's downtown resurgence pushes forward (over $1.8 billion in the last six years), Omaha's cultural community won't be left out. A new performing arts center is under construction downtown and will open in 2005. The facility will have a 2,000-seat main concert hall and a 400-seat recital hall. This project represents the commitment of Omaha's citizens to the community as the $90 million of private funds were raised to build the facility.
The new facility will enhance cultural programs, which already resemble those of a much larger city, including a professional Symphony Orchestra and Opera. Performances by these groups and other touring companies are currently held in the magnificent Orpheum Theater, a restored 1920's vaudeville house. Omaha also has a very active theater community with over 15 theater organizations, including the Omaha Community Playhouse, the largest community theater in the country, and the Omaha Theater For Young People.

A variety of museums and galleries are located in the metro area, the largest of which is the Joslyn Art Museum. Among its treasures is an extensive collection of Western paintings and sculptures. The Durham Western Heritage Museum houses artifacts linking Omaha with its pioneer past and the Byron Reed Collection (an extraordinary array of rare coins, medals and manuscripts).

So why Live in Omaha?

Omaha's high quality environment guarantees a satisfying life style for natives and newcomers alike. Independent studies by urban researchers frequently rank Omaha high among cities of its size and larger. Parenting Magazine found Omaha to be one of the ten best places in the country to raise a family. Redbook named Omaha as one of the ten best cities for working moms. The State of Nebraska consistently ranks among the best states in the nation in the comprehensive annual “Most Livable State Award” published by Morgan Quitno. What cannot be quantified, however, is the friendly attitude and ethic of hard work, which gives Omaha that extra edge—a quality of life that is hard to match.

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