[pajohnson]

Hello, we are thinking of relocating from Atlanta to Omaha. Has anyone lived in both cities? If so, any thoughts on similarities & differences, and which you like better? We are a large family, looking for a better lifestyle.

[star_gazer]

For better or for worse... I can't really think of anything in common between Atlanta and Omaha.

[pajohnson]

Oh, good. We're not fond of Atlanta. Have you been in Omaha for a long time or did you relocate there from somewhere else?

[LaMadden]

Originally Posted by pajohnson

Hello, we are thinking of relocating from Atlanta to Omaha. Has anyone lived in both cities? If so, any thoughts on similarities & differences, and which you like better? We are a large family, looking for a better lifestyle.

Well my family lives in Omaha so I guess that's home for me. I just moved from Newnan Ga which is a suburb of Atlanta(sort of) to CT. Omaha is a lovely city. It is nothing like Atlanta which I wouldn't expect it to be being in the midwest and very cold and snowy in the winter. It has everything Atlanta has on a smaller scale. The airport is little compared to Hartsfield. Every time I visit I think how handy it is and how nice it would be to move back. On the other hand their taxes are high compared to the south, comparable to what we are paying in CT.

[star_gazer]

On the other hand their taxes are high compared to the south, comparable to what we are paying in CT.

I've never had a problem with our property taxes when considering that better than 1/2 of your tax levy in Omaha goes to local schools. Some of us like to think you get what you paid for. There may be a reason why Nebraska students consistently rank among the top of the nation in standardized test scores. The public schools in Omaha, and Nebraska in general, are very good.

[buffy888]

Originally Posted by star_gazer

I've never had a problem with our property taxes when considering that better than 1/2 of your tax levy in Omaha goes to local schools. Some of us like to think you get what you paid for. There may be a reason why Nebraska students consistently rank among the top of the nation in standardized test scores. The public schools in Omaha, and Nebraska in general, are very good.

The money going to schools certainly isn't going towards teacher pay. Nebraska consistenly ranks around 41st in the nation for average teacher salary.

To the OP - I haven't lived in both cities, so I can't compare. I have lived in 2 major cities in Texas as well as in Omaha, so I do know how it is to move from a big city in a warmer climate up to Omaha. Traffic will seem wonderful to you - I sometimes heard people in Omaha complain about traffic or rush hour, but anyone from a medium to big city will find these complaints laughable - even at the most-traveled times of day, traffic in Omaha is generally a breeze compared to cities with real traffic. Weather - that's mainly what drove us to move back to Texas again - I don't like wearing a heavy coat in October or March...but on the flip side, spring feels amazing in Omaha because it has been so long since weather has been decent, flowers have been seen, etc. The job market is also pretty good in Omaha (depending on your field, of course).

[joeyrindone]

i know omaha is generally a pretty cheap place to live but wow 41st. thats pretty bad seeing as our average salary per capita is 20th in the nation. makes me wonder how much some of the big guys like buffet throw that statistic tho?

[star_gazer]

Funny, I'm not the one who took the thread off topic... but my messages are the only ones which have been censored.

Oh well... if you're a teacher... don't come to Omaha or Nebraska... we don't pay squat here... satisified? Thank you.

[mattpoulsen]

Yes. Higher taxes and lower teacher pay. In order to look at those things objectively you have to look at the cost of living in Omaha and realize that an equivalent home are multiples lower in Omaha. In the end, you live more richly in Nebraska. In fact, I can't remember the source off hand, but I think Omaha has the largest disposable income (per capita) in the U.S. I saw the link floating around here somewhere.

[kacee1]

The traffic situation is much better in Omaha. If you like the weather in Hot-lanta, you may not like the weather in Omaha. The summers are nice and less humid than Atlanta but the winters are COLD and WINDY. The wind seems to blow year round.