Nebraska · Douglas County

Omaha Authority

Population

488,837

Median income

$73,201

Median age

35

Figures from U.S. Census ACS — each figure links to its source query.

Also known as: Omaha Metro Authority

Omaha is the kind of place that tends to surprise people who have only encountered it as a dot on a map between Chicago and Denver. It is, by any reasonable measure, a substantial American city — home to 488,837 people, according to Census ACS 5-Year 2024 data — and it carries the particular character of a place that has been quietly getting on with things for a long time.

Population and Demographics

The Census ACS 5-Year 2023 data places Omaha's total population at 488,837, distributed across 199,926 households, of which 115,936 are family households. The city's median age is 35.3 years, and children under 18 account for 24.2 percent of residents, a figure that gives the city what Census-derived analysis describes as a "family-oriented" character. The 18-to-34 cohort numbers 123,888 people, which is a meaningful share of any city's civic and economic life.

The racial and ethnic composition, per Census ACS 5-Year 2023, includes 335,709 white residents, 57,567 Black residents, 19,441 Asian residents, and 76,142 Hispanic or Latino residents — a distribution that reflects the city's history as both a longstanding Midwestern hub and a more recent destination for immigrant communities.

Housing and Affordability

Housing affordability in Omaha sits in a range that many larger American cities would regard with some envy. Derived from Census income, housing, and poverty data, the home-price-to-income ratio stands at 3.4, which is characterized as "moderate" — meaning a median-priced home costs roughly three and a half times the median annual household income. Renters fare somewhat better: rent as a percentage of income runs at 18.9 percent, a figure that falls into the "affordable" category by standard housing-cost benchmarks.

These numbers do not tell anyone what to do with them, of course. They are simply what the data shows.

Economy and Income

The Census ACS 5-Year 2023 data records a median household income of $72,708 for Omaha. The city is home to the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, identified through the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File as the canonical regional business organization. The chamber's presence reflects a business community that, by the scale of the city, is reasonably well-organized.

Education

Omaha has 11 colleges and universities identified through NCES IPEDS 2022 data. Among them, the University of Nebraska at Omaha is the largest by enrollment, with 11,488 students, according to College Scorecard data. Its average SAT score is 1,120, its admission rate is 86.98 percent, and in-state tuition runs $8,718 annually, with out-of-state tuition at $23,206. The completion rate is 47.28 percent — a figure that sits in the middle range for public regional universities nationally.

The city also has 229 licensed childcare centers, per state facility data, ranging from small center-based operations to larger programs. This is a number that matters considerably to the 24.2 percent of the population under 18, and to the adults responsible for them.

Air Quality

The EPA AQI Annual Summary for 2024 recorded 366 days of air quality monitoring in Omaha. Of those, 233 were classified as "good" days and 132 as "moderate." One day fell into the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category. There were no unhealthy, very unhealthy, or hazardous days recorded. The maximum AQI reached 101, and the median AQI was not specified in the available data, but the overall picture is one of air quality that is, by the standards of American cities, reasonably clean.

Broadband Access

According to FCC Broadband Data Collection figures as of June 2025, broadband coverage in Omaha is, by any measure, comprehensive. One hundred percent of the city's 229,295 housing units have access to service at 25/3 Mbps, 100/20 Mbps, and 250/25 Mbps tiers. Coverage at the 1,000/100 Mbps tier reaches 86.98 percent of units. This is a level of infrastructure penetration that many smaller cities and rural areas would find remarkable, though for a city of Omaha's size and density it is perhaps less surprising than it might first appear.

Climate

The nearest weather station to Omaha, NOAA's Omaha Eppley Airfield station located 8.5 miles from the city center, records an average annual temperature of 53.3 degrees Fahrenheit and annual precipitation of 31.4 inches, per NOAA ACIS data. This is a climate that offers genuine seasons — cold winters, warm summers, and enough precipitation to keep the landscape green — without reaching the extremes of either coast.

Civic and Cultural Infrastructure

Omaha supports 18 arts organizations identified through IRS Exempt Organizations data, including Orchestra Omaha, the Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha, and the Heartland Youth Ballet and Theater Company, among others. There are 32 civic service organizations, including Optimist Clubs, fraternal orders, and similar groups, per the same source.

The city has 281 religious congregations on record with the IRS Exempt Organizations registry, and 4 animal welfare organizations: the Nebraska Humane Society, the Nebraska Humane Society Foundation, Haven Animal Rescue Nebraska, and Hops and Co Small Animal Rescue.

Nine nearby attractions are documented in available data, including the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, both approximately 10.1 miles from the city.

Municipal Governance and Regulation

Omaha's municipal code is maintained and accessible through Municode at https://library.municode.com/ne/omaha. The code governs a wide range of local matters, from land use to building standards.

On the environmental regulatory side, 40 CFR § 52.1427 establishes that emission limitations set in Omaha and Lincoln-Lancaster operating permits, when designated as federally enforceable conditions, are enforceable by the EPA. The regulation also reserves to the EPA the right to determine that specific permit conditions are not federally enforceable, based on whether the permit or its approval procedures conform to operating permit program requirements. This is the kind of provision that sits quietly in the Code of Federal Regulations until it becomes relevant, at which point it becomes very relevant indeed.

Banking

FDIC Institutions and Branches data identifies multiple bank branches operating in Omaha, including Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (168th & Maple Branch, 3808 N 168th Ave) and First National Bank of Omaha, among others. The presence of both national and regional institutions reflects the city's role as a financial center for the broader Nebraska and Great Plains region.

Further Reading

• Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates — https://data.census.gov
• NCES, Common Core of Data 2022 — https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/
• City of Omaha, Municipal Code (Municode) — https://library.municode.com/ne/omaha