For the second straight year, Omaha, Neb., has been named the top city for tech workers in America, according to an annual study conducted by SmartAsset.
For the second straight year, Omaha, Neb., has been named the top city for tech workers in America, according to an annual study conducted by SmartAsset.
For the second straight year, Omaha, Neb., has been named the top city for tech workers in America, according to an annual study conducted by SmartAsset.
No matter how many times that gets typed, it’s still somewhat surprising to read out loud, at least if you’re not from Omaha. Most of the conversations I’ve had with people outside Nebraska about what Nebraska is like usually include these three things (in some order):
- Corn
- Nebraska Cornhuskers Football
- Children of the Corn (based in Nebraska, although it was mostly filmed in Iowa)
While those perceptions aren’t entirely accurate (for instance, Nebraska is a distant third in total corn production by state, according to the World of Corn), the words “Nebraska” and “Technology” surely won’t inspire too many future Google searches.
But if you read more about the study and the metrics that were used, or just live in Omaha, claiming this honor for two straight years seems about right.
The study collected data on the cost of living and prospects for tech employment from 230 of the largest cities in America and originally included three metrics:
- Cost of living
- Ratio of the city’s median tech wage (compared to the overall median wage)
- Tech employment rate
For the 2015 study, SmartAsset added two more components: median income for tech workers and the unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor’s degree.
Based on these metrics, here’s how Omaha scored for 2015 (you can read the full study here):
- Percent of Workforce in Tech: 3.7%
- Average Salary: $74,710
- Ratio of Tech Wage to Average Wage: 1.72
- Cost of Living Index: 88.3
- Unemployment (Bachelor’s Degree): 2.5%
- Index: 100.00
Omaha definitely benefits from having a low cost of living (especially when compared to tech hubs like San Francisco) and an even lower unemployment rate in general. It’s also worth noting that the cost of living index and unemployment rate for the rest of the top five (Huntsville, Ala., Springfield, Ill., Fort Worth, Tex., and Rochester, Minn.) were similar to that of Omaha’s.
When you consider these metrics along with the way Omaha’s economy has been able to grow lately, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the city atop these rankings again next year!
