Top 10 Reasons to Live in Omaha

1. Quality of Life

Money magazine named Omaha as the 7th best city of all the cities to live in the United States.  Nebraska consistently ranks among the best states in the nation in the comprehensive annual "Most Livable State Award". (Published by Morgan Quitno)

2. Business & Careers

Nebraska is the 7th best state and Omaha is the 11th best city for Business and Careers. (Forbes) Omaha is headquarters for 8 Fortune 500 companies including Berkshire Hathaway, ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, Peter Kiewit Sons', TD Ameritrade, Werner Enterprises and West Corporation. Omaha also has significant operations or is headquarters for First National Bank, Gallup, Oriental Trading Company, PayPal and First Data.

3. Cost of Living & Housing

A recent survey of over 300 U.S. cities reveal that the relative price levels for consumer goods and services in Omaha are 11% below the national index of 100 for six major components including grocery items, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services. In addition, Omaha's 2006 median price for an existing home is $138,400, compared to the United States median of $221,900. (National Associate of Realtors)

4. Raising a Family

Omaha is among the top 10 cities for raising a family (Parenting Magazine) and among the 10 best cities for working moms. (Redbook)

5. Education

Around 88% of children attend Omaha metro public school districts while the remaining attend private, parochial or non-denominational schools. OPS test scores exceed the national average for large school districts. Graduates receive more than $25 million in scholarship offers annually and over 61% go to college or other post-secondary schools. (Omaha Public Schools)  Omaha is cited among the Top 25 Cities for "Best Educated Workforce". (Business Facilities -2005)

6. Healthcare

Nebraska is ranked as the 6th healthiest states in the U.S. based on access to health care providers, affordability of health care and a generally healthy population.(Morgan Quitno) Nearly 91% of residents are covered by health insurance. Omaha has 11 hospitals, several clinics and thousands of dedicated healthcare professionals. Creighton University Medical Center and University of Nebraska Medical Center both call Omaha home.

7. Climate

Omaha has a continental climate with warm summers and dry winters. Temperatures average from mid-teens to high 30s during winter, low 60s to high 80s during summer and spring / fall are relatively temperate.  Most of the precipitation in Omaha occurs from April through September in the form of thundershowers.

8. Recreation & Entertainment

Qwest Center Omaha, a $290 million convention center and arena, has brought over a million people to Omaha to attend a variety of musical, sporting, and professional events and conventions. The facility has hosted regional and national conventions as well as national entertainment acts. Omaha has attracted acts such as U2, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Kenny Chesney, Green Day, George Strait and many more. (Omaha Chamber of Commerce)

In close proximity to Qwest Center Omaha is a historic area that has been transformed into a retail and residential destination that includes unique eating, shopping and entertainment venues. In recent years, the Old Market has also become a popular place to live as several historic buildings have been transformed into trendy loft apartments adding to the vitality of the area. (Omaha Chamber of Commerce)

For sports fans, the Omaha Royals (AAA farm club of the Kansas City Royals) play in Rosenblatt Stadium. Omaha also has a U.S. Hockey League team, and the River City Lancers. During spring thousands of local and visiting fans attend the NCAA College World Series held every June in Omaha. Omaha offers a variety of activities for all seasons including golf, softball, hunting, skiing, horseback riding and hiking among others. (Omaha Chamber of Commerce)

9. Cultural Offerings

The Holland Performing Arts Center enhances cultural programs including a professional Symphony Orchestra and Opera.  Omaha also has a very active theater community with over 15 theater organizations. A variety of museums and galleries are located in Omaha including the Joslyn Art Museum, the Durham Western Heritage Museum, and the Byron Reed Collection. (Omaha Chamber of Commerce)

10. The People!

Omaha's metropolitan population is more than 807,000 and growing. Nebraskans have a friendly attitude and an ethic of hard work.