470,702
Population
Sunny Days: 214
95100 Affordability
80100 Schools
75100 Diversity
80100 Safety
Omaha, Nebraska
Home On The Plain
Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, Credit: John Matychuk
Pioneer Courage Park, Downtown Omaha
Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha, Credit: Jeffrey Hamilton
LookyLOO Review of Omaha?
You can probably get a job
Omaha has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, with large companies increasingly drawn to the area’s spaciousness. The city also boasts a rising tech industry that has been given the name Silicon Prairie. Add to that a decent cost of living, and Omaha is a decent place to work and live.
Omaha’s public transit is not very good, and not used. That coupled with unpredictable weather at both cold and hot extremes, means that you really need a car to get around the city. It’s fairly easy to get out, with MegaBus offering cheap bus rides to Chicago and Des Moines, but it’s hard to get around the city.
Lifestyle
Omaha has a growing downtown cultural and social scene but the fastest growing segment of the population are families. Omaha is ideal for young families who will benefit from low-cost housing, room to spread out, even within the city, and plenty of amenities to keep everyone in the family occupied. The city does have a music scene, between Centurylink Center for big concerts, and several summer concert series to keep your toes tapping. There’s also a world-class zoo, a magical children’s museum, tons of parks, and an indoor waterpark during the scorching months of summer.
If you want to see what happens in Omaha that's fun and cultural check out the calendar of events.
Worklife
Omaha is frequently ranked as having the lowest unemployment rate in the country. Massive and successful corporations including Berkshire Hathaway, TD Ameritrade, Omaha Steaks, Union Pacific Railroad, and Mutual of Omaha call this home. That means incredibly high-paying jobs in a low-cost city. Not a bad combination. In many ways the work culture of Omaha can feel a bit like an earlier era in America if both Moms and Dads were working outside of the home back then – big companies offering secure employment in a city with reasonably priced homes and a mostly suburban lifestyle.
Schools
Omaha Public Schools (OPS) receives a "B-" on niche.com with Clubs & Activities and Diversity as the highest rated characteristics.
Students in OPS are assigned schools based on neighborhood. Nebraska is one of the few states that does not offer credits for charter schools so kids stick through publics unless choosing parochial or private. The highest-performing schools in the district include:
-Central High School is the highest-ranked high school in the district, earning a "B+" on niche.com. It receives "A's" for Diversity, Clubs & Activities, and College Prep.
-Omaha North Magnet High School receives a "B-" on niche.com. North High, as it is known, is a specialized magnet focusing on STEM education.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
A new transit system
In 2019, Omaha made its biggest investment ever in its transit system, with a brand new rapid transit line called ORBT. It has made a big difference in getting around the city, and tying neighborhoods together. More improvements are planned.
Reviews of Omaha from Locals
Public transportation
Anonymous
Living in Omaha
2y ago
✭✭✭
Hello! Hiker here, and Omaha native! There are indeed a lot of state parks around the area, and Fontanelle Forest is among my favorites to explore. There are also a lot of prairies and loess hills. If you are looking for mountains to hike, and eight hour train ride West will drop you in Denver in the Rockies. The sandhills are gorgeous to hike as well.
Lincoln also offers a lot of hikeable parks, including wilderness park, though it is more flat than I prefer. However, if you are into gravel cycling, there is no limit to the adventurous back roads not thirty minutes from either city core.
The cons of living in Omaha, Nebraska is the current state of transit. It is rapidly improving though, which I am excited about. I am also not a fan of our current state government, as the governor is not a good person, but it is an election year, and hopefully that will change. I also hope that we will elect better state representatives.
I am a product of Omaha Public Schools, and they did okay. It is certainly the largest school district in the city, and there are alternative options as well if you have dependents.
For more reviews of Omaha from locals check out: The Reviews
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Living in Omaha
Neighborhoods in Omaha
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The Area
Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska and considered the “Gateway To The West”. Its central location in the Midwest and Great Plains states means a lot of other big cities are within a reachable driving distance. Kansas City, St Louis, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Oklahoma City and even Chicago are somewhere between 2 and 6 ½ hours. If you get bored at home then plenty of options for escape. Its location on the Great Plains means scorching summers and freezing winters. In fact Omaha is rated the 4th coldest big city in the U.S. but the fact it resides on the banks of the Missouri river means great views from throughout the city.