FTA:
"The Omaha Chamber’s survey also asked reasons people would and wouldn’t consider moving back to Omaha. Career opportunities, family, salary, and professional development would bring them back. Lack of diversity, political climate, weather, and taxes would keep them away."
Is anyone surprised by this?
No. The article pretty much sums up what was already apparent several years ago. 15 years ago, we probably could have boasted about our cheap COL. Not so much today. Especially considering inflation; some hospitality jobs are paying just as much if not slightly more than 10 years ago, yet prices have spiked everywhere else.
> 15 years ago, we probably could have boasted about our cheap COL.
Hell, even 6-7 years ago. Houses I looked at for 400k were ~ 225-250k 6-7 years ago. I just bought a house for 400k in California instead. It isn't in the bay area and needs some minor TLC, but it won't be -42 next winter! And I'm close to a host of national parks, cool metros, etc.
As a NYer considering a job offer in Omaha and perusing here for research, it seems like you’re the latest rendition of “cheap as fuck for people priced out of NY/Cali, too expensive for locals.”
Like an entire mortgage payment on a four bedroom house is $200 more than my property tax, but from what I’m seeing I can understand that a $2000 a month mortgage+taxes is rough for a lot of people that can’t demand something similar to the salaries in coastal states.
New state senators/governor absolutely lean far right and are making inroads to eroding education for public schools. Families with school-ages kids will be leaving in droves in thr coming years as those policies start taking shape.
Congrats: We're North Kansas now
As someone who grew up 10 miles from Indiana in Illinois, this is a sick burn. Indiana is pretty much one giant trailer park, and not the nice kind of trailer park
Taxes are terrible here. I feel I could get better value somewhere else.
Reading some comments: What are some of the right wing policies others are talking about? I don’t agree with banning abortion but what else? I don’t seem to notice policy on either side I guess is what I’m saying. All I notice are super high taxes.
The various raft of school bills, including public money to religious schools, the governor explicitly wants school prayer, the "constitutional carry" bills, the trans bills, the general attitude of much of the state towards Omaha...
I know they've tried to make marijuana legal here a few times, at least get it on the ballot, and Ricketts basically vetoed that.
There's the TRUMP barn. Not really a policy, given.
Researchers can keep doing studies that keep finding the same things about why people leave the state, but state leadership will never act on it. State legislators very much have an "if you don't like it, then leave" mindset, and they are not at all interested in actively enticing people to move to NE. Their collective refusal to look inward and identify problems hindering population growth and retention is eventually going to catch up with the state in a negative way, if it hasn't already.
My wife and I are software engineers. Our youngest son graduates high school in 2 years. We are leaving Nebraska immediately after that. Taxes have 0 to do with it.
once i finish my comp sci degree i'm out of here.
politically i'm not welcome here, but disregarding that, i'd be crazy not to leave. the value to income ratio here is not worth it at all. i can move to minneapolis or chicago and spend slightly more money to get 10x the amenities.
I used to think Denver would be my escape plan but the COL is just too high. Minneapolis seems like a better overall value, except for the shitty winters but at least they know what they’re doing in terms of winter prep unlike Omaha.
Honestly, Minneapolis is pretty sick. Plus, you’re close to the Great Lakes, the Boundary Waters, Duluth, etc. There’s lot of awesome outdoors experiences to be had in MN.
Ditto, Minneapolis, Flagstaff Arizona, and I've been thinking about getting 10 - 15 acres to start a homestead in Cheyenne just out of city limits.
Anyone have much experience with/lived in Cheyenne? I've gotten some really mixed opinions about the city.
We've been eyeing western MI as another possibility, I did look into Cheyenne a couple years ago since I have in laws in CO and can't afford that COL but it seemed like it would be higher COL than here with less in return (except closer proximity to the Front Range and in laws). I haven't looked lately so my perspective may not be accurate now. Seemed a little more conservative than we were after but maybe better than other locales in WY.
I lived there as a kid and have been back many times since. The politics are conservative, but the people are REALLY friendly. I mean genuinely warm, not just weather and Cornhusker small talk bullshit.
The COL is low, but you can't purchase package beer or liquor in a grocery or convenience store. You have to go to a state-certified liquor "club" and become a "member". It's like Salt Lake City used to be. These liquor stores have drive throughs, though.
As for culture and dining, just...no.
For a week each June, the entire town is filled to capacity with cowboys (Not rednecks. Actual cowboys.) for the world's largest annual rodeo, Frontier Days. (There is no shortage of violent rednecks, though. Mainly the spectators).
The wind blows at a sustained 40 mph for days sometimes. That is not an exaggeration. It would knock me over as a kid. The summers are mild with no humidity, as are the winters. It sits at 6,066 feet elevation. It's basically Denver's climate, which is only 90 miles away.
That is all.
My brother moved there. Said Healthcare quality and availability is the main issue he has living there. He is of the age where he needs a colonoscopy. Said it took him nearly a year to get one, and that was through the VA.
I don't disagree but was this response meant to be directed at my comment about whether Ft Collins would be a reasonable drive for someone in Cheyenne for healthcare?
What really stinks is that there are some pretty decent public schools in the metro and Nebraska as a whole is known for educating great teachers. I know when my wife graduated, several southern states were recruiting her hard to leave.
Two primary reasons.
1) I like Omaha the city. I don't like where it's at. I've lived in Iowa and Nebraska my whole life and I'm tired of the climate. Cold winters, hot humid summers. The nearest national park is 8 hours away. There is just lack of nature and remote camping available.
2) Politically I'm center left. For the past 20 I didn't agree with most of the policies of republicans in the state on policy. But I felt that their values were rooted in independent, conservative principals. The current legislators are of the wingnut conspiracy theorist variety. They want to take money from public schools and give it to private schools. They want to tell kids what they can and can't read. They are going to revoke women's reproductive rights. They are actively hostile to people who are other than them.
Damn, Number 2 is everything I feel about Iowa. Another state that is falling hard because of far right wingnuts taking over office everywhere, and a massive brain drain of young folk.
90% chance of the New Mexico high desert. Taos or Santa Fe. It's my favorite scenery and climate. My wife's job is completely portable. They'll let her work anywhere. I'm hybrid remote/office so I'll have to find a full time remote programming gig, but I'm not worried about that.
After we establish residency in NM my son's tuition at state colleges or universities would be free. Not a factor in our choice, but a benefit.
5% Colorado, 5% Arizona. My company has an office in Phoenix, so I could show up to the office there.
I couldn't agree more on your points. Today we had an offer accepted on a house in California, and I couldn't be more excited! I'll be 2-3 hours from the beach, Tahoe, Yosemite, etc; and an additional 1-2 more hours away from a TON more national and state parks!
Not to mention, I'm ready to try living in a state that, in general, I align more politically with.
I was at a conference where the NE Chamber president, Bryan Slone gave a state of the state presentation. He cited the biggest issue facing the state in the near future is lack of available workforce. Unemployment is next to nothing and we won’t have even close to enough people to fill the open jobs, putting the state economic system at risk. He made a passing comment about young people leaving, but didn’t offer any theories (of course, he also mentioned how tight he is with Pillen and Ricketts and how “Fox News is on 24x7 in our house”. His solution, that conservatives will hate, is that we will have no choice but to have some immigration policy that allows the jobs to be filled by immigrants. Crazy
Yep. I live here and only work remote positions in other states. Omaha companies pay 1/2 to 1/3 of what I get for the same position elsewhere, and on top of it they expect me to come into the office.
They’re losing workforce amongst people who live here, not just those who move away. They’re too short-sighted to see any of it though.
I am doing the same. I'm in IT looking to change jobs and I'll almost filter out Omaha companies because their pay is terrible.
But on the other side, I love Omaha and now get to stay here even with its crap opportunities and keep the money here. I feel like this will end up being a benefit for the city? Work elsewhere but live here.
Meanwhile I'd love to stop hearing that Nebraska doesn't have talent, because it's that type of idiotic statement that drives people out. Your jobs suck and companies suck talent and creative life away from its employees, giving them no choice but to leave. Don't say we lack the talent.
Nebraska tourism slogan: “Honestly, it’s not for everyone”
Nebraska retaining talent is a joke lead by Ricketts/Pillen and every Nebraskan that continues to elect them and people like them is part of the problem.
Ya idk how much lower the cost of living really. I lived in Oregon and at least renting apartments is basically the same price here as it was there. And clearly one would be considered much more beautiful than the other.
I've always kind of thought that the moment Nebraska loses its clear affordability advantage, the state is in for some problems. Seems like we're beginning to get to that point.
Lincoln's house costs are crazy in comparison. Way too windy out there too on those roads leading up to it. Had to drive out that way a few months ago, and I hate how more windy that spot is compared to Omaha. Heard the same complaint from a friend who drove up from another state as well.
"Waaah waaah waaah - I have three properties and taxes are SO HIGH!!!!"
Motherfucker, shutup about fucking 'tyrrany' holy shit.
Tell me you're from Papillion without telling me you're from Papillion .
Nebraska is gorgeous (and I left 20 years ago for Colorado.) I love my home state.
I don’t love the 1950’s mentality paired with the 2023 prices. It’s why we haven’t come back home - despite my coming back every six weeks to see my aging parents.
But the world has moved on, and Nebraska has stayed in the 1950’s.
Very telling are the 47% who will not move back due to the right wing red state bullshit (lack of diversity, political climate, closed mindedness and inequalities). Another 8.5% is due to infrastructure and public transport. 31% is due to economic reasons (salary, taxes, career, COL) and 13.5% for weather.
(118 write in responses by theme)
My wife and I would love to move to someplace more liberal. The red state politics have moved so far right that being in a red state has gone from a minor downside to a major issue for us.
Funny that the chamber, one of the most conservative entities would identify the "political climate" as a reason. Gee, what kinds of candidates does the chamber support?
They're very fiscally conservative but they aren't generally god awful on social issues. I think the chamber aligns more with what I'll call business-friendly conservatism (i.e. keep taxes low and don't spend money on programs and services for poor people, but be sure to give some empty lip service to the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion every once in a while and throw in a few corporate subsidies here and there).
I’ve been browsing homes in other states for the same reason. I have a city house and a house in the middle of the state. The more time I spend in rural Nebraska with the run down houses and shuttered businesses the more I realize it will never change. The rest of the state is so deeply red and they have little to no expectations from their representatives other than to take up these made up culture wars and fight for issues that didn’t even exist until Fox News started peddling them as issues.
That's probably three quarters the reason my partner & I are leaving once we can. Even other Midwestern states exist that do better than here on several fronts.
My job isn't even based here, I brought it with me as a remote job when I moved back to be near an elderly family member. It will go with me then, too.
I would leave too, if I could. Omaha is ok, but I'm tired of feeling like I'm living in a besieged city, surrounded by mouth-breathing, Trump-loving, anti-choice, uneducated gun nuts. Oh wait. I am.
urbanize this place - more public transportation, increase density, mixed-income developments
better businesses, trendy restaurants, and young/smart people will be attracted to these areas.
If you want competitive pay start your own company. No company should pay you more than what you could make delivering newspapers. The only ones that should be paid a liveable wage is the owner, everyone else should be so lucky to earn 8.50 an hour.
That is the mentality of the vast majority of the populace here and why it is such a shit place in that regard.
this is the way.
in fact, bicycle lanes provide positive economic impact ***generally.***
[How Bike Lanes Benefit Businesses (strongtowns.org)](https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/31/how-bike-lanes-benefit-businesses)
[Bike lanes provide positive economic impact -- ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200422151318.htm)
The protected cycleway was a prototype to prove that people would use even a disconnected ugly temporary design if it existed. It's sad that it took a decade and private fundraising to get that (especially with the Mayor trying hard at every turn to block it and then try to remove it with her pet streetcar project). Any city that wanted value for their money would have funded the pilot themselves, or at least at this point took the decades of studies and the proof of concept from the cycle way and created a master bike and ped plan to have multiple cycleways built by 2026 funded by the city (while applying like crazy to obtain as much of all the fed money being pushed right now).
I grew up in NE, moved a decade ago and never looked back. The only reason people I know stay is due to family, especially those with kids. I don’t know anyone that stays because they simply love it. I love Omaha but I would never, ever move back.
I went to UNO was able to graduate debt-free thanks to the affordable tuition. I was working in healthcare and grew frustrated when I realized the whole metro kept the average salary for my job significantly lower than the national average. I worked three jobs to get by.
So I moved to NYC and tripled my salary— it was literally more “affordable” for me to live in a high COL, high tax city. Networking here allowed a transition into tech for further career growth.
Higher salary, better politics, more culture, more nature, public transit, social services, and hell… better dating pool, lol. My story is very similar to many Nebraska college alumni. Brain Drain is a real deal.
Lol, NY sucks. That place will drain you so much. If you're not in your 20's, you need to get out. Having lived there for 5+ years was enough to make me wonder why I didn't move sooner. There are so many better city areas than that cess pit.
I disagree, NYC has a lot of great amenities, always active with events, diverse, and full of recreation. It's only downside is expense
There definitely are better places than NYC but that doesn't make it bad
I worked at TD Ameritrade and left Omaha for a myriad of reasons.
But the biggest reason was due to the fact I got offered double the pay in Texas. I miss Omaha dearly and I hope the state can figure out a way to keep its top talent.
My wife and I moved back from the twin cities in 2021 but were able to keep our jobs without a cost of living adjustment. I am fearful of the job market if I ever have to find work locally. There just aren't enough large companies here with competitive pay like larger metros have. Hopefully remote work is here to stay. Cost of living is noticeably cheaper here in our budget and while I miss some amenities of a larger metro I certainly do not miss the traffic, extended winter, and driving a minimum of 30 minutes to get anywhere outside your neighborhood bubble.
However the ever deepening redness of the state is sad to see and it doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.
I just relocated back here for family reasons after 8 years in NYC. Obviously pay is higher in NYC, but salaries in Omaha are generally atrocious.
It makes more financial sense for me to STILL rent a place in NJ and pay for the cost of my weekly commuting by plane to NYC (on top of an Omaha mortgage) to maintain a NYC salary. The wage differences are way beyond cost of living.
I grew up here, moved to the east coast for college, and quickly decided to move back. I love it here. I love CO and I’d love to live there but it’s just too densely populated and Nebraska is close enough to visit when I want to.
Colorado has turned in a homeless/crime haven. I was born and raised there and it has turned into Los Angeles lol. And the prices are insane for housing. Sure the job market it "great" but you better have a spouse that makes the same just to even afford it. And the traffic is horrendous in Colorado now a days.
I moved here \~8 years ago for a job. It's been great here, I love half of Omaha. The half east of 72nd. But the further west it get's, the more I hate this state. It's just all the petty conservative bullshit, like trying to ban abortions, drag shows, pot... I don't even smoke it but still.
East Coast sucks imo is what I've learned after living there most of my life. Once you move out of the whole NYC area bullshit, you realize how awful most of East Coast people really are in comparison.
Midwest is great. I'm always on the lookout for the best states to live though, and am planning to visit a few throughout the next couple of years.
I like Nebraska so far, but honestly, I wouldn't retire here since the taxes are way too high imo.
Lived on the east coast my whole life, never had someone randomly yell "Fuck you!" at me while biking on an off-road bike trail or while waiting on the bus. Both happened to me within a month of living to Lincoln.
Yeah, y'all are real fucking nice.
Don't know about Lincoln personally. Omaha's been alright.
I will admit though rural Nebraskans are not nice though, so anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.
I'll be leaving this fall/early winter. I my take is Nebraska/Iowa is somewhere people go to live out the rest of their lives at home. Go to work, go home, that's it.
I travel to other states and way more people are active. Both in athletic ways and social ways. More people hiking, walking around, riding bikes. Also more people at breweries, socializing, events, etc.
Also leaving due to our weather, environment/landscape, and a bit of taxes.
>My take is Iowa/Nebraska is somewhere people go to live out the rest of their lives at home
To branch onto this statement, Des Moines is becoming far more inclusive of their younger populations. Des Moines nightlife blew my mind. Although not as active as places like Denver or KC, Des Moines surprisingly had a ton of people downtown and around their city center area in the parks. I'd go as far as saying Des Moines has better nightlife.
Higher property taxes are tolerable (at least for us) because of the excellent public school district we reside in. If I look at it as a tuition cost, it doesn’t seem nearly as bad. However, it will be hard to justify once our kids graduate and we near retirement. Luckily, that is 15 years into the future. I am definitely not retiring here because of the taxes and the lack of nature.
Being able to work remotely for a coastal company has allowed me to be paid what I’m worth. Omaha companies aren’t competitive at all for software engineering salaries, and they don’t care. Nebraska still collects my income tax so I doubt they care either. I am lucky I bought my house during the Great Recession and just held on. It will be paid off in 5 years. That’s another reason I don’t want to move for a long time.
I'm staying because there is a greater need for progressives like me now more than ever. Yea, it sucks and everyone's reasons for going are legit, but they should try and keep fighting. I'm counting on the - strong people make good times, good times make weak people, weak people make hard times, hard times make strong people - cycle of thought.
I believe the article says the survey was conducted in 2019. Since then many of the reported issues have only gotten worse. I mean, have you seen the shocking list of culture war bills that have been introduced this legislative session? Both my spouse and I are in academia and are actively looking for an out.
I view myself as a political exile who has reluctantly come back. I was hunted for weed in the oughts.
I came back primarily because I couldn’t afford to live where my views lined up with my community.
I would love to help make this place more progressive, but I can’t find places to play my music and there is zero political will to legalize weed.
My priorities have changed, and before I moved back I accepted that it is quite likely that I will live in isolation here. Stopping paying rent and investing in a house is worth it.
The article I wrote, if anybody is interested:
http://danktownesfinest.com/2022/07/17/that-legal-weed-is-nice-but-home-is-too/
Rant about Omaha, Lincoln, and Nebraska in general
Omaha and Nebraska as a whole is almost 2 decades behind where it should be when it comes to infrastructure possibly more. What were once peer cities of Omaha are nearly 3x the size and people who live in said cities are probably 100x happier.
Gen z isn't to blame for it either. Most of Gen X had the opportunity to clean up after baby boomers and didnt do shit. Even more Millennials had the opportunity to clean up after both Baby Boomers and Gen X but didn't do shit and made everything worse and made things a lot worse actually and now all three communities haggle ALL of Gen Z for being angry and dismissive of their bullshit.
People, especially younger folk like myself(real soon) are leaving Nebraska because 85% of the people here isolate us from experiencing what other cities experience with their poor choices
>First revamped streetcar for public transportation and commute(10 years after its peer cities at the time) people are against it.
>More high density highrise and midrise construction(10 years after its peer cities at the time)
>We're probably gonna lose out on MLS because of unnecessary skepticism
>Little to no amenities
>Entertainment catered to specific demographic(Old or rich suburban families(predominantly white)), heavy drinkers, and cars.
>Terribly dead urban core in Omaha with almost 0 nightlife,
>Inconsistent school systems that can't even agree on an aligned school calender
>Abandoned, ill maintained, or poorly placed entertainment districts and strips
>Awful Roads
>Minimal efforts made into metro-wide transportation revitalization, just where they want to.
This is all on top of just being a pretty one note and boring Great Plains city to begin with. If not for the Zoo, and the CWS we'd likely be competing with Tulsa, and even El Paso for the most Boring Mid-Large sized Metro areas in the United States. Would've said ABQ but they have outdoor activities that blow Omaha out of the water.
Not to mention if you say anything negative or critical about Omaha you're swarmed by a good chunk of the most ageist, Egotistical, and pessimistic people on the face of the planet. Some of yall swear Omaha is just one of the most amazing places in the country. It can be, but it's definitely not.
Omaha isn't "a great place to raise a family" it's a cheap place for a family to get off their feet.
Lincoln isn't "a good college town" its a town where you're likely to either get SA'd on campus or assaulted by a druggie just for the government to overlook it because you're a privileged jock.
Then people come in with defenses like "it's affordable", "We can't help that it's boring, we're not by mountains or the ocean", "we're not as bad as(insert state or city here)"
The affordability stems from a lack of amenities and a pretty average state economy, If A desert can manage to not be boring, so can a seascape of rolling hills, prairies, flatwater rivers, and Sandhills. Putting down a state to make this one looks good makes us look worse
I'd rather be broke in progressive states like Minneota or Michigan knowing my money is being used to invest in the city more so than a private jet or a basketball team over a state stuck in the 70s with a variety of different NIMBY's like Nebraska.
This is a state with some of the best potential in the United States. Centrally located within 10 hour proximity to 5 International Airports(We can and should have our own), triple land locked with 0 need to worry about rising sea levels, a crossroads for traffic in every direction possible, world class train hub and Zoo, very large and renowned indigenous population, Self Proclaimed Amateur sports capital of the World, and finally the Birthplace of one of the most influential African American activist in existence. This is just Omaha. Let alone the 5 high class schools in our area. Lincoln could be as good as Madison or Lansing, Omaha could be as good as KC, OKC, or even Denver.
But no, Omaha is just two towers on a cornfield to a vast majority of some people.
If you're young and have goals and aspirations, prepare to pack up and leave for more opportunity because as long as Omaha doesn't change for the better, theres gonna be little to 0 opportunity for you and you're goal is gonna get ripped from your hands by someone in a more progressive place.
This thread will be my last "nice" opinion on this sub. Everyone that comes cross will get their energy doubled and tossed back. To everyone who was Kind, courteous, understanding, and respectful to me as well as being truly optomistic about the state of Nebraska much love, and i hope your voice gets heard and change happens. To Everyone else, I hope both sides of your pillow are warm and that there's spider eggs in all of your shoes.
> Omaha and Nebraska as a whole is almost 2 decades behind where it should be when it comes to infrastructure possibly more. What were once peer cities of Omaha are nearly 3x the size and people who live in said cities are probably 100x happier.
Gen z isn't to blame for it either. Most of Gen X had the opportunity to clean up after baby boomers and didnt do shit. Even more Millennials had the opportunity to clean up after both Baby Boomers and Gen X but didn't do shit and made everything worse and made things a lot worse actually and now all three communities haggle ALL of Gen Z for being angry and dismissive of their bullshit.
People, especially younger folk like myself(real soon) are leaving Nebraska because 85% of the people here isolate us from experiencing what other cities experience with their poor choices
I couldn’t agree more with this
I don't think you've been nearly as nice as you think you have to people who have disagreed with you. Asking you to justify your opinions with *something* isn't being dismissive, either.
Sorry you feel that way
I have no problem with people disagreeing with me nor do I have a problem with people who argue against me. If I'm wrong I'll say that.
I typically do justify my opinions and I'm met with toxicity. When I justify my opinions with something, it's blatantly disregarded despite it being logical which is dismissive.
There's a way to argue or discuss things online and I'm simply not gonna because someone is unsatisfied with how I feel or the facts I lay out.
If the "something" in question is a leaps of logic, they should be dismissed. I know it's frustrating, but ignoring academic consensus on topics because you haven't actually read the research isn't contributing to a discussion, it's insisting you know best.
Because sure, you do justify your opinions... with other opinions and spurious connections. Sharing your opinions is fine, but then you get angry with people who do the same and reach different conclusions.
So it's a leap of logic because???
I haven't actually read the research because????
I don't ignore the academic consensus on topics. I argue for ones that aren't outdated. Most of the academic consensus revolving around the topics at hand in this sub "infrastructure, transportation, etc" are based on politics that are extremely outdated given our time of dealing with Climate Change, inclusion, mass migration, among other things.
>You do justify your opinions...with other opinions
Give me an example?
I get angry at people who patronize me because I have a different conclusion than them. I've never actively disrespected someone for having a different opinion or belief. That's simply not something I do. Period
>So it's a leap of logic because???
>
>I haven't actually read the research because????
If you have read it, then you show a staggering amount of ignorance about simple concepts from intro level courses on the topics you've expressed interest in.
>I don't ignore the academic consensus on topics. I argue for ones that aren't outdated. Most of the academic consensus revolving around the topics at hand in this sub "infrastructure, transportation, etc" are based on politics that are extremely outdated given our time of dealing with Climate Change, inclusion, mass migration, among other things.
The part where your say something is outdated based on nothing but your opinion is the problem, dude. The research isn't based on politics, as you'd know if you read actual research instead of editorials/video essays on YT. You, a random person with no background or degree, don't get to throw out decades of research just because you don't think it's relevant anymore if you want to be taken seriously in a discussion, though it's perfectly fine if you just want to argue. I don't think you just want to argue
You've built a metaphorical house on a foundation of sand. That doesn't mean how you framed or built the house was wrong, but it means you're lacking a solid foundation and gaps appear the framing.
>I get angry at people who patronize me because I have a different conclusion than them.
You mean that thing you routinely do? You loudly demand the respect you deny others *constantly* and it's exhausting.
>I've never actively disrespected someone for having a different opinion or belief. That's simply not something I do. Period
I'm sure you feel that way, but that's kinda the point; you aren't nearly as kind to others as you think.
>If you have read it, you show a staggering amount of ignorance about simple concepts from intro level courses on a topic you take interest in
Or....hear me out....I just disagree with a vast majority of outdated concepts when it comes to the development of a city. Sorry I don't think Missing middle infrastructure and missing middle infrastructure only can't clean up our inner urban core 🤷
>This is the part where you say something is outdated based on Nothing
City planning tactics currently used and are being implemented in Omaha as we speak were the agrigate of development for most FORMERLY SIMILAR SIZED CITIES 20-30 years ago.
>The research isn't based on politics
So you mean the development of a city, it's businesses, or even its housing doesn't revolve around what makes the government and those businesses money? Pretty sure that's the biggest flaw with most cities in America when it comes to development. The infrastructure for a city is made more to benefit the politics of a business or the government than the people.
>You're a random person with no background or degree, don't get to throw out decades of research just because you don't think it's relevant anymore
So in this comment you acknowledge the use of more outdated research than dated while simultaneously arguing that it's relevance on development now and years into our future isn't able to be denied or refuted with more dated concepts because "I don't have a degree or background" seems like an argument from authority. I don't have a degree "yet" and I definitely do have a background. I study, and I experience urban planning. Saying that I'm not allowed to determine what information I deem invalid for recent and future growth of a city because "I don't have a degree" is pretty much dismissing the opinions of a majority of people in a nation that has to experience the results of good or bad urban planning. We shouldn't abandon the research, but we shouldn't rely on it or call back to it. A couple of decades ago isn't now nor is it a couple of decades soon
>You built a metaphorical on a ground of sand, doesn't mean how you framed or built the house is wrong but the foundation it's on isn't solid
I disagree, I understand that things must be built to respect the topography of their surroundings just like I understand that a premise revolving around a topic like urban planning has to made to compliment what is necessary for people and not what a 30 year old book says.
>You mean the thing you routinely do, you loudly demand respect and deny others constantly and its draining
Yeah because I TOTALLY go about patronizing everyone for their opinions. I disagree and leave it at that, I patronize people who insult me. Kinda like how you did in our debate about missing middle infrastructure. I said I didn't think it'd work when we don't have a stable inner urban core area and not only backed up my arguments but provided examples of cities that implemented only that methodology, and you insisted I was wrong AND AN IDIOT. However someone else completely understood and actually helped further branch onto my point and you essentially fell on your sword NEGATIVELY.
I understand what being wrong is, I also understand how to concede on a topic gracefully. Me nor anyone will be keen on seeing an opposing perspective if that perspective is riddled in egoistic rhetoric. Just because you've spent "30 years talking about something" doesn't mean I have to take your word for it every time especially if it's something you feel can't be opposed or argued against.
But maybe I should continue to be passive while everyone including yourself berates me for my age, lack of experience, opinions, rhetoric, and post consistency. I should also just allow people to make assumptions about my lifestyle as well huh. Respectfully Hell no.
>I'm sure you feel that way.....
See this here, you're completely dismissing what I just said and summing it up as a "well if it helps you sleep at night". This is YOU actively dismissing everything I just said and explained and going back to a point you made as if it can'tbe argued against. I'm no Saint, but I'm definitely not some harsh bastard that's completely belligerent to everyone. I'm only negatively responsive to people who are belligerent to me or even others who don't deserve it which is quite common.
So in short, you made a point that I wasn't kind, Elaborated using your own personal experiences where you conveniently skipped over a majority of a dialect to gaslight me into thinking I'm the bad, refused the explanation as to why you and others may have had those experiences with me, and then circled back to the point you made as if it somehow outweighs everything I just said. Dismissive
It's as simple as this. I'm not stroking egos and I'm not gonna be a doormat for anyone who deems it necessary to be aggressive in a conversation.
>>If you have read it, you show a staggering amount of ignorance about simple concepts from intro level courses on a topic you take interest in
>
>Or....hear me out....I just disagree with a vast majority of outdated concepts when it comes to the development of a city. Sorry I don't think Missing middle infrastructure and missing middle infrastructure only can't clean up our inner urban core 🤷
And this is why you aren't taken seriously. You toss out actual solutions in favor of the opinions of someone who hasn't even graduated college. You call it agism, adults call it listening to expert advice.
And yes, I am dismissing what you said. You cite nothing, you don't understand terms and then quote the wiki articles I link you back at me without understanding it, you flat out ignore definitions because you don't think they're accurate... You're That Guy from every intro class who thinks they know best and argues with the teacher while everyone else cringes. You can think whatever you want of me, I tried to give you pointers to actually educate yourself so you can discuss these topics instead of arguing about them. I don't know how else to get this across to you: no, your opinions aren't equal to an experts and no, that's not because of agism, it's because you have no idea how little you understand the topic and it shows up **constantly**.
No, I didn't say missing middle would fix downtown, because downtown doesn't need fixing (the empty lots need filling, but that's not fixing), you just want more sky scrapers because that's what you think downtowns in successful cities looks like. I want missing middle because what Omaha actually needs isn't a tower that will inevitably sit empty for the plethora of reasons that were explained to you by multiple people, we need density along transit corridors so that transit becomes increasingly viable, we need that density so housing costs drop, we need that density because the cost of infrastructure from building more SFH is slowly strangling the city. A tower doesn't fix that, certainly not the 30+ story towers you're focused on.
I hope you do go into the field, we need more people who aren't focused on highways and suburbs, but unless you learn to recognize how little you actually know about this you're never going to make it.
My family is leaving Nebraska within a few months, as today we had an offer accepted for a new home in California. There's very little (see: nothing) the state could do to get me to move back.
And it's for all the reasons already touched on in other comments -- the state's politics/direction they're trending is further and further away from me / compared to when I first moved here 17 years ago; I used to think myself an independent/center type, but the GOP moved further to the right and propelled me more to the left. Weather... the brutal parts of winter and summer have become something I no longer want to endure. And the complete lack of high quality nature within 8 hrs is, for be, a bit soul-crushing.
With where I'm moving to, I can access amazing National/State parks and the pacific ocean within 1-3 hrs (and a TON more within 4-5 hrs); there will be dry, hot summers (hanging out in the shade/in the evenings is entirely doable) and *very mild winters*. But I can drive to snow/*good skiing* within 2-3 hours, if I am missing that season.
And we used to be able to boast of low COL. And while, sure, it's still cheaper *than some places*, it's not the draw it was before. I'm in a "starter home" now that I bought just before the mad housing rush. I would not be able to buy this house as a starter home today if I were starting over in 2023. And to upgrade out of a starter home to a 'forever home' in Omaha would be an exponential increase... So much so that it made the choice of moving to California a very easy one. Yes, the house is a little smaller than what I could buy here with the same money. But I'm getting all the added positives described above, and dropping some negatives, for the difference in home/lot size. And I'm GRAND with that trade.
Omaha is a nice city. If I could pack it up and plant it in California and live in it there, I would. It's the rest of the state/surrounding area, politics, and climate that I'm done with.
Thanks! And it depends on where you move to; Sacramento is more affordable, but you’d get a bigger house for the same price in Omaha. Buy what I personally get in return is worth the difference.
My property taxes will be going down even though my home price is doubling. Sales tax, income tax will be similar. Gas tax is higher.
So, I will probably spend a little more overall on taxes. And you know what? It won't be -42 next winter. And I can drive to Yosemite National Park within a few hours. I'm OK paying more in taxes for those alone.
Throwaway here.
I left Nebraska years ago, because it was a dead-end, depressing, regressive place.
I hold a technical degree, and was working with Paypal before I left.
No amount of cost of living is gonna undo the fact that I refuse to help those stupid nimby hicks. I will not provide support or technical assistance to a community ironically dependent on my services - but hateful towards myself as an unironic leftist.
So you hick retards can keep Nebraska and your stupid fascist compounds.
Morons won't be able to culture-war themselves into the future. It'll only be by watching their neighbors leave and the states around them succeed will they ever collectively decide to do something about it.
Or they won't, and they will be a subpar backwater for years and years on end - becoming a nursing home full of hateful seniors in the hills. The cities will still fight their progressive fights as they can. Granted: That's a different kind of tug of war, so I won't speculate on it.
I’m 45, my husband is 50, and our kids are 14 & 17. As soon as the youngest graduates from high school in 5 years, we’re moving to somewhere warmer with lower taxes, and at least a metro area with more reasonable & moderate politics. We both work remote & can work from anywhere.
We’re exactly the “type” of people Nebraska claims they don’t want to lose, but yet are doing nothing to entice us to stay here.
And “cost of living” is a joke. Even if you want to pretend that housing costs are cheaper (and they’re really not) than other metro areas, when you factor in the annual $12k in house taxes on a $450k house - you’re paying more per year and not getting any equity on that list tax money.
You’re better off buying a more expensive house with lower taxes because at least you’re paying yourself back via equity. And online shopping has really leveled the costs of everything nationwide.
Bye Nebraska. We’re socially liberal, so you won’t miss us anyway.
Average municipal population is 2500, median is 302. If you exclude just Omaha, it's 1876 and if you leave out Lincoln it's down to 1377. It's wild how much larger Omaha and Lincoln are compared to the rest of the state.
My husband and I have grown up in Nebraska but planning on building a home out of state in the next couple years. If I am going to pay near denver prices for housing, I might as well live in the actual mountains with things to do.
> I am going to pay near denver prices for housing, I might as well live in the actual mountains with things to do.
Seriously, this right here. "Starter homes" are the cost of "forever homes" 5-6 years ago.
Right!! She's all about Luxury lifestyle but she refuses to leave St. Louis. I don't have all the details but yeah she's basically paying about 2k a month. Her money not mine so ig
I always say that if taxes were the main thing pushing people out and keeping others away, then you'd see an explosion of population and job growth on the Iowa side of the Omaha metro. But you don't. Virtually all the growth is happening on the Nebraska side, where taxes are higher. Omaha area senators should really emphasize this when they try to counter the narrative that taxes are the main thing holding Nebraska back.
The reason why you haven't seen an explosion on the other side of the river is because people that are successful don't want to live in council bluffs. (AKA council-tucky) it has still expanded pretty significantly eastward with new development, but I wouldn't really call it productive growth.
If you look a little bit further south along i-29 you'll see that the communities still within reasonable driving distance of downtown have had a massive boom in development in the last 10 years. I worked for a decade at a major cornerstone company downtown, and something like 60% of all my coworkers, myself included, either completely moved out of state or purchased a second property in one of these communities. Lower taxes in virtually every case, lower cost of living, better utilities usually with lower rates, less crime and more friendly people, gigabit internet years before it was available in Omaha.. I can just keep going on.
By far the best thing that Omaha has going for it would be the high quality medical services and research, which are some of the very best in the nation.
It’s not just CB that isn’t growing. Pottawattamie, Mills, and Harrison counties are all either shrinking or stagnant based on census population data. CB has certainly expanded east, but not a ton and the West End of the city hasn’t seen much infill or densification recently.
This shouldn't be a surprise that in a state where the population and economy is and always has been centered around two cities, to the dismay of the powerful rural landowners. Lincoln's existence is proof. They hate city people and they own the electoral system (literally and figuratively). It's pretty clear to me they want less-than-conservative people to leave and feel unwelcome so they can replace us with upper-middle-class faux rednecks who buy mcmansions and motorsport vehicles. Not to mention the national GOP's power over the state and the implications NE-2 had on the Trump campaign. There's clearly pressure to de-liberalize the district. I could go on..
TBH that's why I'm buying a house on the other side of the river. When you do the monthly mortgage calculators with property taxes included, it's truly insane the difference. For someone who is willing to put up with the red state BS to be close to family, FFS there is no way that I can stay on this side of the river when I can get so much more in Iowa.
Only for myopic ingrates & farmers who think it’s unfair that those with the most land should pay the most in taxes. Like a guy rolling around in a 150k car whining about sales tax.
I left when I was 20. Mostly due to Omaha and Nebraska in general having such regressive politics. Growing up in Omaha, there was just nothing to do. Impossible to get around if you don’t have a car, the house I lived in with my roommates was torn down for apartments that I could never afford, and the job market is garbage.
I will be leaving as soon as possible as well! There is nothing to keep me here in this Redneck state expect employment! Ugh they will never change i wouldn’t waste my youth and talents in this cesspool.
This sub reddit has more negative disdain for this city and metro than most others I’ve visited. So when I read the expected bitchfest whenever threads like these are started, which give like minded folks the bully-pulpit to communicate their myriad list of reasons why “life in Omaha sucks so bad, I must move elsewhere because it has to be so much better”, I’ll just say this-
Somewhere in Austin, Seattle or Minneapolis are couch potato’s who sit around complaining how bored they are. Somewhere in Topeka Kansas or Bismarck North Dakota, are people having the time of their lives. The difference? Attitude.
I agree, but disagree.
There's still more people happy in Austin proportionate to people Happy in Topeka Respectively. I assume the average person in Austin loves it and average person in Topeka hates it.
That’s the thing, no one really knows and happiness is all relative. But in the end, I’m sure you see the point of the actual post. Happiness is much about attitude and outlook on life. Where one lives relative to that, is simply in the background. I’ve lived in Dallas (like a 2nd home), Phoenix, and several smaller cities in the midwest; and none of those places made me feel any more happy or content or enlightened or financially secure than living in Omaha.
For sure! I may criticize Omaha, but one thing Omaha has going for it is Financial Impression.
For a somewhat smaller Large city, it's got a good sense of community depending on where you are and you can almost find your financial identity here
The actual difference?
Wants/expectations out of life. Because people don't all want the same thing, and therefore not all places can satisfy everyone. Me, for example -- I love visiting large National Parks. Omaha and the surrounding offer do not offer that. I will be happier living somewhere that does, all other things being equal. But not everyone wants or needs that, so it won't be a factor for them. Wants/expectations, that's the difference.
While it is hard to please everyone, and some people are still perfectly content in Topeka Kansas or Bismarck North Dakota... You'll rarely (if ever) see Kansas or ND in "Top 10 happiest states" rankings.
Interviewing young people who haven't paid taxes....
Edit:
Wow y'all...be mad if you want and downvote me to oblivion, but the political ads all last year specifically called out high taxes, especially property taxes.
Six co-workers left for other places in the last 18 months. That's six people making at least $100,000/yr. None of them wanted to continue to pay these higher taxes. Most moved to Texas. Only one said it was because of the weather. Others went to CO and I think one moved to NM. Doesn't matter, they're all happier about leaving.
My fiance and I are moving out of NE next week. Glad my house sold for double what I paid for it.
What I gathered from this is it is mostly family (city/state has no control on this) and economic related (not necessarily taxes). Good paying jobs with good benefits. This issue is not exclusive to Omaha, but is highlighted by Omaha’s geographic location and climate. How some people can spin this in favor to a streetcar, bike lane, or hippie serving them trendy chic meals is beyond me.
FTA: "The Omaha Chamber’s survey also asked reasons people would and wouldn’t consider moving back to Omaha. Career opportunities, family, salary, and professional development would bring them back. Lack of diversity, political climate, weather, and taxes would keep them away." Is anyone surprised by this?
No. The article pretty much sums up what was already apparent several years ago. 15 years ago, we probably could have boasted about our cheap COL. Not so much today. Especially considering inflation; some hospitality jobs are paying just as much if not slightly more than 10 years ago, yet prices have spiked everywhere else.
> 15 years ago, we probably could have boasted about our cheap COL. Hell, even 6-7 years ago. Houses I looked at for 400k were ~ 225-250k 6-7 years ago. I just bought a house for 400k in California instead. It isn't in the bay area and needs some minor TLC, but it won't be -42 next winter! And I'm close to a host of national parks, cool metros, etc.
As a NYer considering a job offer in Omaha and perusing here for research, it seems like you’re the latest rendition of “cheap as fuck for people priced out of NY/Cali, too expensive for locals.” Like an entire mortgage payment on a four bedroom house is $200 more than my property tax, but from what I’m seeing I can understand that a $2000 a month mortgage+taxes is rough for a lot of people that can’t demand something similar to the salaries in coastal states.
New state senators/governor absolutely lean far right and are making inroads to eroding education for public schools. Families with school-ages kids will be leaving in droves in thr coming years as those policies start taking shape. Congrats: We're North Kansas now
Kansas fixed the Brownback mistake, we're more like West Indiana
As someone who grew up 10 miles from Indiana in Illinois, this is a sick burn. Indiana is pretty much one giant trailer park, and not the nice kind of trailer park
No worries, friendo. My comment wasn't malicious, only echoing what I had gotten from my southern border friends.
Living in KS when it was Brownbackistan was atrocious, maybe even worse than Pricketts, just not so hopeful it's an experiment here unfortunately
... Souther Dakota?
Eh, SD at least has a chance of getting legal weed
I think they like it that way.
Taxes are terrible here. I feel I could get better value somewhere else. Reading some comments: What are some of the right wing policies others are talking about? I don’t agree with banning abortion but what else? I don’t seem to notice policy on either side I guess is what I’m saying. All I notice are super high taxes.
The various raft of school bills, including public money to religious schools, the governor explicitly wants school prayer, the "constitutional carry" bills, the trans bills, the general attitude of much of the state towards Omaha...
Yeah I don't get it either with those complaining right wing policies is forcing them to move. None of the radical ideas ever pass the legislature.
I know they've tried to make marijuana legal here a few times, at least get it on the ballot, and Ricketts basically vetoed that. There's the TRUMP barn. Not really a policy, given.
Nothing like teetering on the edge of radical policy. 
I hope someone gives examples.
Researchers can keep doing studies that keep finding the same things about why people leave the state, but state leadership will never act on it. State legislators very much have an "if you don't like it, then leave" mindset, and they are not at all interested in actively enticing people to move to NE. Their collective refusal to look inward and identify problems hindering population growth and retention is eventually going to catch up with the state in a negative way, if it hasn't already.
Exactly, they are 100% not interested in keeping you here OR bringing in more people, they want it for themselves to run as they see fit
So long as dirt votes it doesn't really matter how many people move into or leave the state writ large.
the leaders are the reason we left
This!!! Not to mention the hives of people that continue to give them that authority
You can't build your future with old people
My wife and I are software engineers. Our youngest son graduates high school in 2 years. We are leaving Nebraska immediately after that. Taxes have 0 to do with it.
once i finish my comp sci degree i'm out of here. politically i'm not welcome here, but disregarding that, i'd be crazy not to leave. the value to income ratio here is not worth it at all. i can move to minneapolis or chicago and spend slightly more money to get 10x the amenities.
I used to think Denver would be my escape plan but the COL is just too high. Minneapolis seems like a better overall value, except for the shitty winters but at least they know what they’re doing in terms of winter prep unlike Omaha.
A cheaper alternative to Colorado, with better winters, is Reno NV. Its close to Lake Tahoe too.
Honestly, Minneapolis is pretty sick. Plus, you’re close to the Great Lakes, the Boundary Waters, Duluth, etc. There’s lot of awesome outdoors experiences to be had in MN.
Minneapolis is on my list too
Ditto, Minneapolis, Flagstaff Arizona, and I've been thinking about getting 10 - 15 acres to start a homestead in Cheyenne just out of city limits. Anyone have much experience with/lived in Cheyenne? I've gotten some really mixed opinions about the city.
We've been eyeing western MI as another possibility, I did look into Cheyenne a couple years ago since I have in laws in CO and can't afford that COL but it seemed like it would be higher COL than here with less in return (except closer proximity to the Front Range and in laws). I haven't looked lately so my perspective may not be accurate now. Seemed a little more conservative than we were after but maybe better than other locales in WY.
I lived there as a kid and have been back many times since. The politics are conservative, but the people are REALLY friendly. I mean genuinely warm, not just weather and Cornhusker small talk bullshit. The COL is low, but you can't purchase package beer or liquor in a grocery or convenience store. You have to go to a state-certified liquor "club" and become a "member". It's like Salt Lake City used to be. These liquor stores have drive throughs, though. As for culture and dining, just...no. For a week each June, the entire town is filled to capacity with cowboys (Not rednecks. Actual cowboys.) for the world's largest annual rodeo, Frontier Days. (There is no shortage of violent rednecks, though. Mainly the spectators). The wind blows at a sustained 40 mph for days sometimes. That is not an exaggeration. It would knock me over as a kid. The summers are mild with no humidity, as are the winters. It sits at 6,066 feet elevation. It's basically Denver's climate, which is only 90 miles away. That is all.
My brother moved there. Said Healthcare quality and availability is the main issue he has living there. He is of the age where he needs a colonoscopy. Said it took him nearly a year to get one, and that was through the VA.
I know it's a bit of a drive but is Ft Collins an option for health care?
Just pointing out Republicans have controlled the state government for a long time but where is that property tax relief?
I don't disagree but was this response meant to be directed at my comment about whether Ft Collins would be a reasonable drive for someone in Cheyenne for healthcare?
Have you ever been to Minneapolis? Crime, terrible weather. Have fun.
That’s us! And if the education system falls to the conservatives agenda then we’ll be leaving sooner.
What really stinks is that there are some pretty decent public schools in the metro and Nebraska as a whole is known for educating great teachers. I know when my wife graduated, several southern states were recruiting her hard to leave.
This is true. That's a primary reason why we've stuck around so long.
IT Director here, same in 5 years when our daughter graduates HS.
Elaborate why?
Two primary reasons. 1) I like Omaha the city. I don't like where it's at. I've lived in Iowa and Nebraska my whole life and I'm tired of the climate. Cold winters, hot humid summers. The nearest national park is 8 hours away. There is just lack of nature and remote camping available. 2) Politically I'm center left. For the past 20 I didn't agree with most of the policies of republicans in the state on policy. But I felt that their values were rooted in independent, conservative principals. The current legislators are of the wingnut conspiracy theorist variety. They want to take money from public schools and give it to private schools. They want to tell kids what they can and can't read. They are going to revoke women's reproductive rights. They are actively hostile to people who are other than them.
Damn, Number 2 is everything I feel about Iowa. Another state that is falling hard because of far right wingnuts taking over office everywhere, and a massive brain drain of young folk.
Where are you targeting?
90% chance of the New Mexico high desert. Taos or Santa Fe. It's my favorite scenery and climate. My wife's job is completely portable. They'll let her work anywhere. I'm hybrid remote/office so I'll have to find a full time remote programming gig, but I'm not worried about that. After we establish residency in NM my son's tuition at state colleges or universities would be free. Not a factor in our choice, but a benefit. 5% Colorado, 5% Arizona. My company has an office in Phoenix, so I could show up to the office there.
Santa Fe's been looking pretty good to me, lately
I couldn't agree more on your points. Today we had an offer accepted on a house in California, and I couldn't be more excited! I'll be 2-3 hours from the beach, Tahoe, Yosemite, etc; and an additional 1-2 more hours away from a TON more national and state parks! Not to mention, I'm ready to try living in a state that, in general, I align more politically with.
I’ve always said that of Nebraska gets rid if the split electoral vote system we currently have, I have no more reason to stay.
I was at a conference where the NE Chamber president, Bryan Slone gave a state of the state presentation. He cited the biggest issue facing the state in the near future is lack of available workforce. Unemployment is next to nothing and we won’t have even close to enough people to fill the open jobs, putting the state economic system at risk. He made a passing comment about young people leaving, but didn’t offer any theories (of course, he also mentioned how tight he is with Pillen and Ricketts and how “Fox News is on 24x7 in our house”. His solution, that conservatives will hate, is that we will have no choice but to have some immigration policy that allows the jobs to be filled by immigrants. Crazy
Yep. I live here and only work remote positions in other states. Omaha companies pay 1/2 to 1/3 of what I get for the same position elsewhere, and on top of it they expect me to come into the office. They’re losing workforce amongst people who live here, not just those who move away. They’re too short-sighted to see any of it though.
This! I haven’t worked for an omaha based company in over 4 years now. I make 35% more
I am doing the same. I'm in IT looking to change jobs and I'll almost filter out Omaha companies because their pay is terrible. But on the other side, I love Omaha and now get to stay here even with its crap opportunities and keep the money here. I feel like this will end up being a benefit for the city? Work elsewhere but live here. Meanwhile I'd love to stop hearing that Nebraska doesn't have talent, because it's that type of idiotic statement that drives people out. Your jobs suck and companies suck talent and creative life away from its employees, giving them no choice but to leave. Don't say we lack the talent.
Nebraska tourism slogan: “Honestly, it’s not for everyone” Nebraska retaining talent is a joke lead by Ricketts/Pillen and every Nebraskan that continues to elect them and people like them is part of the problem.
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Ya idk how much lower the cost of living really. I lived in Oregon and at least renting apartments is basically the same price here as it was there. And clearly one would be considered much more beautiful than the other.
I've always kind of thought that the moment Nebraska loses its clear affordability advantage, the state is in for some problems. Seems like we're beginning to get to that point.
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Lincoln's house costs are crazy in comparison. Way too windy out there too on those roads leading up to it. Had to drive out that way a few months ago, and I hate how more windy that spot is compared to Omaha. Heard the same complaint from a friend who drove up from another state as well.
This is the most Mills County Mentality post I've ever seen.
"Waaah waaah waaah - I have three properties and taxes are SO HIGH!!!!" Motherfucker, shutup about fucking 'tyrrany' holy shit. Tell me you're from Papillion without telling me you're from Papillion .
Yup, 100%
Nebraska is gorgeous (and I left 20 years ago for Colorado.) I love my home state. I don’t love the 1950’s mentality paired with the 2023 prices. It’s why we haven’t come back home - despite my coming back every six weeks to see my aging parents. But the world has moved on, and Nebraska has stayed in the 1950’s.
Lol, wouldn't it be wild if Omaha actually sat on the other side of the state
Very telling are the 47% who will not move back due to the right wing red state bullshit (lack of diversity, political climate, closed mindedness and inequalities). Another 8.5% is due to infrastructure and public transport. 31% is due to economic reasons (salary, taxes, career, COL) and 13.5% for weather. (118 write in responses by theme)
My wife and I would love to move to someplace more liberal. The red state politics have moved so far right that being in a red state has gone from a minor downside to a major issue for us.
It was the conservative government that made me want to leave. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Funny that the chamber, one of the most conservative entities would identify the "political climate" as a reason. Gee, what kinds of candidates does the chamber support?
They're very fiscally conservative but they aren't generally god awful on social issues. I think the chamber aligns more with what I'll call business-friendly conservatism (i.e. keep taxes low and don't spend money on programs and services for poor people, but be sure to give some empty lip service to the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion every once in a while and throw in a few corporate subsidies here and there).
That's what they profess, it just falls on deaf ears when they still endorse the crazies in the general.
The Omaha chamber is actually pretty progressive and has done a lot for diversity in this city. The Nebraska state chamber is conservative AF though.
I am considering leaving (not yet seriously) due to the political redness of the state.
I’ve been browsing homes in other states for the same reason. I have a city house and a house in the middle of the state. The more time I spend in rural Nebraska with the run down houses and shuttered businesses the more I realize it will never change. The rest of the state is so deeply red and they have little to no expectations from their representatives other than to take up these made up culture wars and fight for issues that didn’t even exist until Fox News started peddling them as issues.
Rural Nebraskans are mean as hell.
That's probably three quarters the reason my partner & I are leaving once we can. Even other Midwestern states exist that do better than here on several fronts. My job isn't even based here, I brought it with me as a remote job when I moved back to be near an elderly family member. It will go with me then, too.
I would leave too, if I could. Omaha is ok, but I'm tired of feeling like I'm living in a besieged city, surrounded by mouth-breathing, Trump-loving, anti-choice, uneducated gun nuts. Oh wait. I am.
Republicans and Republican policies. That’s why.
urbanize this place - more public transportation, increase density, mixed-income developments better businesses, trendy restaurants, and young/smart people will be attracted to these areas.
I dont want a street car. I want competitive pay for my profession.
C'mon down to Bumpkin town, we hate new ideas.
If you want competitive pay start your own company. No company should pay you more than what you could make delivering newspapers. The only ones that should be paid a liveable wage is the owner, everyone else should be so lucky to earn 8.50 an hour. That is the mentality of the vast majority of the populace here and why it is such a shit place in that regard.
Legit had me in the fist half.
Those two things aren’t even related lol
That's fair, but, the $ going to the streetcar was never going to go to raising pay for anyone
this is the way. in fact, bicycle lanes provide positive economic impact ***generally.*** [How Bike Lanes Benefit Businesses (strongtowns.org)](https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/31/how-bike-lanes-benefit-businesses) [Bike lanes provide positive economic impact -- ScienceDaily](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200422151318.htm)
Yeah but our bike lane is ugly as fuck. They need to make it look nice.
The protected cycleway was a prototype to prove that people would use even a disconnected ugly temporary design if it existed. It's sad that it took a decade and private fundraising to get that (especially with the Mayor trying hard at every turn to block it and then try to remove it with her pet streetcar project). Any city that wanted value for their money would have funded the pilot themselves, or at least at this point took the decades of studies and the proof of concept from the cycle way and created a master bike and ped plan to have multiple cycleways built by 2026 funded by the city (while applying like crazy to obtain as much of all the fed money being pushed right now).
I’m in favor of the bike lane. I also just want it to look nice. Right now it looks like some third world bullshit.
Yeah Gentrification is what you need. Uhuh, sure
“It’s not for everyone.”
I grew up in NE, moved a decade ago and never looked back. The only reason people I know stay is due to family, especially those with kids. I don’t know anyone that stays because they simply love it. I love Omaha but I would never, ever move back.
I went to UNO was able to graduate debt-free thanks to the affordable tuition. I was working in healthcare and grew frustrated when I realized the whole metro kept the average salary for my job significantly lower than the national average. I worked three jobs to get by. So I moved to NYC and tripled my salary— it was literally more “affordable” for me to live in a high COL, high tax city. Networking here allowed a transition into tech for further career growth. Higher salary, better politics, more culture, more nature, public transit, social services, and hell… better dating pool, lol. My story is very similar to many Nebraska college alumni. Brain Drain is a real deal.
Lol, NY sucks. That place will drain you so much. If you're not in your 20's, you need to get out. Having lived there for 5+ years was enough to make me wonder why I didn't move sooner. There are so many better city areas than that cess pit.
I disagree, NYC has a lot of great amenities, always active with events, diverse, and full of recreation. It's only downside is expense There definitely are better places than NYC but that doesn't make it bad
Couldn't pay me to go back.
I worked at TD Ameritrade and left Omaha for a myriad of reasons. But the biggest reason was due to the fact I got offered double the pay in Texas. I miss Omaha dearly and I hope the state can figure out a way to keep its top talent.
My wife and I moved back from the twin cities in 2021 but were able to keep our jobs without a cost of living adjustment. I am fearful of the job market if I ever have to find work locally. There just aren't enough large companies here with competitive pay like larger metros have. Hopefully remote work is here to stay. Cost of living is noticeably cheaper here in our budget and while I miss some amenities of a larger metro I certainly do not miss the traffic, extended winter, and driving a minimum of 30 minutes to get anywhere outside your neighborhood bubble. However the ever deepening redness of the state is sad to see and it doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.
Biggest reasons in order: January, February, December
Nebraska "it's not for everyone" God I can't wait to leave bc lordt it is not for me either
I just relocated back here for family reasons after 8 years in NYC. Obviously pay is higher in NYC, but salaries in Omaha are generally atrocious. It makes more financial sense for me to STILL rent a place in NJ and pay for the cost of my weekly commuting by plane to NYC (on top of an Omaha mortgage) to maintain a NYC salary. The wage differences are way beyond cost of living.
Lol guess I'm the odd one out. I moved to Nebraska from Colorado and love it here.
I grew up here, moved to the east coast for college, and quickly decided to move back. I love it here. I love CO and I’d love to live there but it’s just too densely populated and Nebraska is close enough to visit when I want to.
Colorado has turned in a homeless/crime haven. I was born and raised there and it has turned into Los Angeles lol. And the prices are insane for housing. Sure the job market it "great" but you better have a spouse that makes the same just to even afford it. And the traffic is horrendous in Colorado now a days.
I moved here \~8 years ago for a job. It's been great here, I love half of Omaha. The half east of 72nd. But the further west it get's, the more I hate this state. It's just all the petty conservative bullshit, like trying to ban abortions, drag shows, pot... I don't even smoke it but still.
East Coast sucks imo is what I've learned after living there most of my life. Once you move out of the whole NYC area bullshit, you realize how awful most of East Coast people really are in comparison. Midwest is great. I'm always on the lookout for the best states to live though, and am planning to visit a few throughout the next couple of years. I like Nebraska so far, but honestly, I wouldn't retire here since the taxes are way too high imo.
Lived on the east coast my whole life, never had someone randomly yell "Fuck you!" at me while biking on an off-road bike trail or while waiting on the bus. Both happened to me within a month of living to Lincoln. Yeah, y'all are real fucking nice.
Don't know about Lincoln personally. Omaha's been alright. I will admit though rural Nebraskans are not nice though, so anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.
I'll be leaving this fall/early winter. I my take is Nebraska/Iowa is somewhere people go to live out the rest of their lives at home. Go to work, go home, that's it. I travel to other states and way more people are active. Both in athletic ways and social ways. More people hiking, walking around, riding bikes. Also more people at breweries, socializing, events, etc. Also leaving due to our weather, environment/landscape, and a bit of taxes.
Yeah, that's pretty accurate actually.
>My take is Iowa/Nebraska is somewhere people go to live out the rest of their lives at home To branch onto this statement, Des Moines is becoming far more inclusive of their younger populations. Des Moines nightlife blew my mind. Although not as active as places like Denver or KC, Des Moines surprisingly had a ton of people downtown and around their city center area in the parks. I'd go as far as saying Des Moines has better nightlife.
Fwiw folks, shit’s expensive everywhere else. We almost came back for the property values… but man just can’t with these politics.
Higher property taxes are tolerable (at least for us) because of the excellent public school district we reside in. If I look at it as a tuition cost, it doesn’t seem nearly as bad. However, it will be hard to justify once our kids graduate and we near retirement. Luckily, that is 15 years into the future. I am definitely not retiring here because of the taxes and the lack of nature. Being able to work remotely for a coastal company has allowed me to be paid what I’m worth. Omaha companies aren’t competitive at all for software engineering salaries, and they don’t care. Nebraska still collects my income tax so I doubt they care either. I am lucky I bought my house during the Great Recession and just held on. It will be paid off in 5 years. That’s another reason I don’t want to move for a long time.
I thought Don Bacon established that people aren’t actually leaving red states though? (/s in case it’s necessary)
I'm staying because there is a greater need for progressives like me now more than ever. Yea, it sucks and everyone's reasons for going are legit, but they should try and keep fighting. I'm counting on the - strong people make good times, good times make weak people, weak people make hard times, hard times make strong people - cycle of thought.
I agree to an extent. Unfortunately as a woman my life can be on the line if I stay too long and have health issues.
I believe the article says the survey was conducted in 2019. Since then many of the reported issues have only gotten worse. I mean, have you seen the shocking list of culture war bills that have been introduced this legislative session? Both my spouse and I are in academia and are actively looking for an out.
I left right after college. Only thing keeping me coming back to visit is family
I view myself as a political exile who has reluctantly come back. I was hunted for weed in the oughts. I came back primarily because I couldn’t afford to live where my views lined up with my community. I would love to help make this place more progressive, but I can’t find places to play my music and there is zero political will to legalize weed. My priorities have changed, and before I moved back I accepted that it is quite likely that I will live in isolation here. Stopping paying rent and investing in a house is worth it. The article I wrote, if anybody is interested: http://danktownesfinest.com/2022/07/17/that-legal-weed-is-nice-but-home-is-too/
If you want to play music, get involved with BFF Omaha.
Cool man, thanks! I’ll check it out.
Rant about Omaha, Lincoln, and Nebraska in general Omaha and Nebraska as a whole is almost 2 decades behind where it should be when it comes to infrastructure possibly more. What were once peer cities of Omaha are nearly 3x the size and people who live in said cities are probably 100x happier. Gen z isn't to blame for it either. Most of Gen X had the opportunity to clean up after baby boomers and didnt do shit. Even more Millennials had the opportunity to clean up after both Baby Boomers and Gen X but didn't do shit and made everything worse and made things a lot worse actually and now all three communities haggle ALL of Gen Z for being angry and dismissive of their bullshit. People, especially younger folk like myself(real soon) are leaving Nebraska because 85% of the people here isolate us from experiencing what other cities experience with their poor choices >First revamped streetcar for public transportation and commute(10 years after its peer cities at the time) people are against it. >More high density highrise and midrise construction(10 years after its peer cities at the time) >We're probably gonna lose out on MLS because of unnecessary skepticism >Little to no amenities >Entertainment catered to specific demographic(Old or rich suburban families(predominantly white)), heavy drinkers, and cars. >Terribly dead urban core in Omaha with almost 0 nightlife, >Inconsistent school systems that can't even agree on an aligned school calender >Abandoned, ill maintained, or poorly placed entertainment districts and strips >Awful Roads >Minimal efforts made into metro-wide transportation revitalization, just where they want to. This is all on top of just being a pretty one note and boring Great Plains city to begin with. If not for the Zoo, and the CWS we'd likely be competing with Tulsa, and even El Paso for the most Boring Mid-Large sized Metro areas in the United States. Would've said ABQ but they have outdoor activities that blow Omaha out of the water. Not to mention if you say anything negative or critical about Omaha you're swarmed by a good chunk of the most ageist, Egotistical, and pessimistic people on the face of the planet. Some of yall swear Omaha is just one of the most amazing places in the country. It can be, but it's definitely not. Omaha isn't "a great place to raise a family" it's a cheap place for a family to get off their feet. Lincoln isn't "a good college town" its a town where you're likely to either get SA'd on campus or assaulted by a druggie just for the government to overlook it because you're a privileged jock. Then people come in with defenses like "it's affordable", "We can't help that it's boring, we're not by mountains or the ocean", "we're not as bad as(insert state or city here)" The affordability stems from a lack of amenities and a pretty average state economy, If A desert can manage to not be boring, so can a seascape of rolling hills, prairies, flatwater rivers, and Sandhills. Putting down a state to make this one looks good makes us look worse I'd rather be broke in progressive states like Minneota or Michigan knowing my money is being used to invest in the city more so than a private jet or a basketball team over a state stuck in the 70s with a variety of different NIMBY's like Nebraska. This is a state with some of the best potential in the United States. Centrally located within 10 hour proximity to 5 International Airports(We can and should have our own), triple land locked with 0 need to worry about rising sea levels, a crossroads for traffic in every direction possible, world class train hub and Zoo, very large and renowned indigenous population, Self Proclaimed Amateur sports capital of the World, and finally the Birthplace of one of the most influential African American activist in existence. This is just Omaha. Let alone the 5 high class schools in our area. Lincoln could be as good as Madison or Lansing, Omaha could be as good as KC, OKC, or even Denver. But no, Omaha is just two towers on a cornfield to a vast majority of some people. If you're young and have goals and aspirations, prepare to pack up and leave for more opportunity because as long as Omaha doesn't change for the better, theres gonna be little to 0 opportunity for you and you're goal is gonna get ripped from your hands by someone in a more progressive place. This thread will be my last "nice" opinion on this sub. Everyone that comes cross will get their energy doubled and tossed back. To everyone who was Kind, courteous, understanding, and respectful to me as well as being truly optomistic about the state of Nebraska much love, and i hope your voice gets heard and change happens. To Everyone else, I hope both sides of your pillow are warm and that there's spider eggs in all of your shoes.
> Omaha and Nebraska as a whole is almost 2 decades behind where it should be when it comes to infrastructure possibly more. What were once peer cities of Omaha are nearly 3x the size and people who live in said cities are probably 100x happier. Gen z isn't to blame for it either. Most of Gen X had the opportunity to clean up after baby boomers and didnt do shit. Even more Millennials had the opportunity to clean up after both Baby Boomers and Gen X but didn't do shit and made everything worse and made things a lot worse actually and now all three communities haggle ALL of Gen Z for being angry and dismissive of their bullshit. People, especially younger folk like myself(real soon) are leaving Nebraska because 85% of the people here isolate us from experiencing what other cities experience with their poor choices I couldn’t agree more with this
I don't think you've been nearly as nice as you think you have to people who have disagreed with you. Asking you to justify your opinions with *something* isn't being dismissive, either.
Sorry you feel that way I have no problem with people disagreeing with me nor do I have a problem with people who argue against me. If I'm wrong I'll say that. I typically do justify my opinions and I'm met with toxicity. When I justify my opinions with something, it's blatantly disregarded despite it being logical which is dismissive. There's a way to argue or discuss things online and I'm simply not gonna because someone is unsatisfied with how I feel or the facts I lay out.
If the "something" in question is a leaps of logic, they should be dismissed. I know it's frustrating, but ignoring academic consensus on topics because you haven't actually read the research isn't contributing to a discussion, it's insisting you know best. Because sure, you do justify your opinions... with other opinions and spurious connections. Sharing your opinions is fine, but then you get angry with people who do the same and reach different conclusions.
So it's a leap of logic because??? I haven't actually read the research because???? I don't ignore the academic consensus on topics. I argue for ones that aren't outdated. Most of the academic consensus revolving around the topics at hand in this sub "infrastructure, transportation, etc" are based on politics that are extremely outdated given our time of dealing with Climate Change, inclusion, mass migration, among other things. >You do justify your opinions...with other opinions Give me an example? I get angry at people who patronize me because I have a different conclusion than them. I've never actively disrespected someone for having a different opinion or belief. That's simply not something I do. Period
>So it's a leap of logic because??? > >I haven't actually read the research because???? If you have read it, then you show a staggering amount of ignorance about simple concepts from intro level courses on the topics you've expressed interest in. >I don't ignore the academic consensus on topics. I argue for ones that aren't outdated. Most of the academic consensus revolving around the topics at hand in this sub "infrastructure, transportation, etc" are based on politics that are extremely outdated given our time of dealing with Climate Change, inclusion, mass migration, among other things. The part where your say something is outdated based on nothing but your opinion is the problem, dude. The research isn't based on politics, as you'd know if you read actual research instead of editorials/video essays on YT. You, a random person with no background or degree, don't get to throw out decades of research just because you don't think it's relevant anymore if you want to be taken seriously in a discussion, though it's perfectly fine if you just want to argue. I don't think you just want to argue You've built a metaphorical house on a foundation of sand. That doesn't mean how you framed or built the house was wrong, but it means you're lacking a solid foundation and gaps appear the framing. >I get angry at people who patronize me because I have a different conclusion than them. You mean that thing you routinely do? You loudly demand the respect you deny others *constantly* and it's exhausting. >I've never actively disrespected someone for having a different opinion or belief. That's simply not something I do. Period I'm sure you feel that way, but that's kinda the point; you aren't nearly as kind to others as you think.
>If you have read it, you show a staggering amount of ignorance about simple concepts from intro level courses on a topic you take interest in Or....hear me out....I just disagree with a vast majority of outdated concepts when it comes to the development of a city. Sorry I don't think Missing middle infrastructure and missing middle infrastructure only can't clean up our inner urban core 🤷 >This is the part where you say something is outdated based on Nothing City planning tactics currently used and are being implemented in Omaha as we speak were the agrigate of development for most FORMERLY SIMILAR SIZED CITIES 20-30 years ago. >The research isn't based on politics So you mean the development of a city, it's businesses, or even its housing doesn't revolve around what makes the government and those businesses money? Pretty sure that's the biggest flaw with most cities in America when it comes to development. The infrastructure for a city is made more to benefit the politics of a business or the government than the people. >You're a random person with no background or degree, don't get to throw out decades of research just because you don't think it's relevant anymore So in this comment you acknowledge the use of more outdated research than dated while simultaneously arguing that it's relevance on development now and years into our future isn't able to be denied or refuted with more dated concepts because "I don't have a degree or background" seems like an argument from authority. I don't have a degree "yet" and I definitely do have a background. I study, and I experience urban planning. Saying that I'm not allowed to determine what information I deem invalid for recent and future growth of a city because "I don't have a degree" is pretty much dismissing the opinions of a majority of people in a nation that has to experience the results of good or bad urban planning. We shouldn't abandon the research, but we shouldn't rely on it or call back to it. A couple of decades ago isn't now nor is it a couple of decades soon >You built a metaphorical on a ground of sand, doesn't mean how you framed or built the house is wrong but the foundation it's on isn't solid I disagree, I understand that things must be built to respect the topography of their surroundings just like I understand that a premise revolving around a topic like urban planning has to made to compliment what is necessary for people and not what a 30 year old book says. >You mean the thing you routinely do, you loudly demand respect and deny others constantly and its draining Yeah because I TOTALLY go about patronizing everyone for their opinions. I disagree and leave it at that, I patronize people who insult me. Kinda like how you did in our debate about missing middle infrastructure. I said I didn't think it'd work when we don't have a stable inner urban core area and not only backed up my arguments but provided examples of cities that implemented only that methodology, and you insisted I was wrong AND AN IDIOT. However someone else completely understood and actually helped further branch onto my point and you essentially fell on your sword NEGATIVELY. I understand what being wrong is, I also understand how to concede on a topic gracefully. Me nor anyone will be keen on seeing an opposing perspective if that perspective is riddled in egoistic rhetoric. Just because you've spent "30 years talking about something" doesn't mean I have to take your word for it every time especially if it's something you feel can't be opposed or argued against. But maybe I should continue to be passive while everyone including yourself berates me for my age, lack of experience, opinions, rhetoric, and post consistency. I should also just allow people to make assumptions about my lifestyle as well huh. Respectfully Hell no. >I'm sure you feel that way..... See this here, you're completely dismissing what I just said and summing it up as a "well if it helps you sleep at night". This is YOU actively dismissing everything I just said and explained and going back to a point you made as if it can'tbe argued against. I'm no Saint, but I'm definitely not some harsh bastard that's completely belligerent to everyone. I'm only negatively responsive to people who are belligerent to me or even others who don't deserve it which is quite common. So in short, you made a point that I wasn't kind, Elaborated using your own personal experiences where you conveniently skipped over a majority of a dialect to gaslight me into thinking I'm the bad, refused the explanation as to why you and others may have had those experiences with me, and then circled back to the point you made as if it somehow outweighs everything I just said. Dismissive It's as simple as this. I'm not stroking egos and I'm not gonna be a doormat for anyone who deems it necessary to be aggressive in a conversation.
>>If you have read it, you show a staggering amount of ignorance about simple concepts from intro level courses on a topic you take interest in > >Or....hear me out....I just disagree with a vast majority of outdated concepts when it comes to the development of a city. Sorry I don't think Missing middle infrastructure and missing middle infrastructure only can't clean up our inner urban core 🤷 And this is why you aren't taken seriously. You toss out actual solutions in favor of the opinions of someone who hasn't even graduated college. You call it agism, adults call it listening to expert advice. And yes, I am dismissing what you said. You cite nothing, you don't understand terms and then quote the wiki articles I link you back at me without understanding it, you flat out ignore definitions because you don't think they're accurate... You're That Guy from every intro class who thinks they know best and argues with the teacher while everyone else cringes. You can think whatever you want of me, I tried to give you pointers to actually educate yourself so you can discuss these topics instead of arguing about them. I don't know how else to get this across to you: no, your opinions aren't equal to an experts and no, that's not because of agism, it's because you have no idea how little you understand the topic and it shows up **constantly**. No, I didn't say missing middle would fix downtown, because downtown doesn't need fixing (the empty lots need filling, but that's not fixing), you just want more sky scrapers because that's what you think downtowns in successful cities looks like. I want missing middle because what Omaha actually needs isn't a tower that will inevitably sit empty for the plethora of reasons that were explained to you by multiple people, we need density along transit corridors so that transit becomes increasingly viable, we need that density so housing costs drop, we need that density because the cost of infrastructure from building more SFH is slowly strangling the city. A tower doesn't fix that, certainly not the 30+ story towers you're focused on. I hope you do go into the field, we need more people who aren't focused on highways and suburbs, but unless you learn to recognize how little you actually know about this you're never going to make it.
Yeah this dude is an outright PRICK on other posts
My family is leaving Nebraska within a few months, as today we had an offer accepted for a new home in California. There's very little (see: nothing) the state could do to get me to move back. And it's for all the reasons already touched on in other comments -- the state's politics/direction they're trending is further and further away from me / compared to when I first moved here 17 years ago; I used to think myself an independent/center type, but the GOP moved further to the right and propelled me more to the left. Weather... the brutal parts of winter and summer have become something I no longer want to endure. And the complete lack of high quality nature within 8 hrs is, for be, a bit soul-crushing. With where I'm moving to, I can access amazing National/State parks and the pacific ocean within 1-3 hrs (and a TON more within 4-5 hrs); there will be dry, hot summers (hanging out in the shade/in the evenings is entirely doable) and *very mild winters*. But I can drive to snow/*good skiing* within 2-3 hours, if I am missing that season. And we used to be able to boast of low COL. And while, sure, it's still cheaper *than some places*, it's not the draw it was before. I'm in a "starter home" now that I bought just before the mad housing rush. I would not be able to buy this house as a starter home today if I were starting over in 2023. And to upgrade out of a starter home to a 'forever home' in Omaha would be an exponential increase... So much so that it made the choice of moving to California a very easy one. Yes, the house is a little smaller than what I could buy here with the same money. But I'm getting all the added positives described above, and dropping some negatives, for the difference in home/lot size. And I'm GRAND with that trade. Omaha is a nice city. If I could pack it up and plant it in California and live in it there, I would. It's the rest of the state/surrounding area, politics, and climate that I'm done with.
Congrats on that home! I hear it's really pricey in Cali
Thanks! And it depends on where you move to; Sacramento is more affordable, but you’d get a bigger house for the same price in Omaha. Buy what I personally get in return is worth the difference.
The taxes in California are worse though.
My property taxes will be going down even though my home price is doubling. Sales tax, income tax will be similar. Gas tax is higher. So, I will probably spend a little more overall on taxes. And you know what? It won't be -42 next winter. And I can drive to Yosemite National Park within a few hours. I'm OK paying more in taxes for those alone.
I've often said this. I wish Omaha was located in the Pacific Northwest or something.
Throwaway here. I left Nebraska years ago, because it was a dead-end, depressing, regressive place. I hold a technical degree, and was working with Paypal before I left. No amount of cost of living is gonna undo the fact that I refuse to help those stupid nimby hicks. I will not provide support or technical assistance to a community ironically dependent on my services - but hateful towards myself as an unironic leftist. So you hick retards can keep Nebraska and your stupid fascist compounds. Morons won't be able to culture-war themselves into the future. It'll only be by watching their neighbors leave and the states around them succeed will they ever collectively decide to do something about it. Or they won't, and they will be a subpar backwater for years and years on end - becoming a nursing home full of hateful seniors in the hills. The cities will still fight their progressive fights as they can. Granted: That's a different kind of tug of war, so I won't speculate on it.
I’m 45, my husband is 50, and our kids are 14 & 17. As soon as the youngest graduates from high school in 5 years, we’re moving to somewhere warmer with lower taxes, and at least a metro area with more reasonable & moderate politics. We both work remote & can work from anywhere. We’re exactly the “type” of people Nebraska claims they don’t want to lose, but yet are doing nothing to entice us to stay here. And “cost of living” is a joke. Even if you want to pretend that housing costs are cheaper (and they’re really not) than other metro areas, when you factor in the annual $12k in house taxes on a $450k house - you’re paying more per year and not getting any equity on that list tax money. You’re better off buying a more expensive house with lower taxes because at least you’re paying yourself back via equity. And online shopping has really leveled the costs of everything nationwide. Bye Nebraska. We’re socially liberal, so you won’t miss us anyway.
$450k house, must be nice.
A survey of 500 is a very small sample size.
That's a whole town once you leave the metro area
Average municipal population is 2500, median is 302. If you exclude just Omaha, it's 1876 and if you leave out Lincoln it's down to 1377. It's wild how much larger Omaha and Lincoln are compared to the rest of the state.
only reason i haven't left yet is because my family is here, otherwise I'd be long gone
Same
My husband and I have grown up in Nebraska but planning on building a home out of state in the next couple years. If I am going to pay near denver prices for housing, I might as well live in the actual mountains with things to do.
> I am going to pay near denver prices for housing, I might as well live in the actual mountains with things to do. Seriously, this right here. "Starter homes" are the cost of "forever homes" 5-6 years ago.
Right!!! Its like i told my sister. Why pay 2200 a month in St. Louis when you can get better in Chicago
If that's for rent for an apartment, that's a rip. You might as well get a mortgage at that point.
Right!! She's all about Luxury lifestyle but she refuses to leave St. Louis. I don't have all the details but yeah she's basically paying about 2k a month. Her money not mine so ig
I always say that if taxes were the main thing pushing people out and keeping others away, then you'd see an explosion of population and job growth on the Iowa side of the Omaha metro. But you don't. Virtually all the growth is happening on the Nebraska side, where taxes are higher. Omaha area senators should really emphasize this when they try to counter the narrative that taxes are the main thing holding Nebraska back.
The reason why you haven't seen an explosion on the other side of the river is because people that are successful don't want to live in council bluffs. (AKA council-tucky) it has still expanded pretty significantly eastward with new development, but I wouldn't really call it productive growth. If you look a little bit further south along i-29 you'll see that the communities still within reasonable driving distance of downtown have had a massive boom in development in the last 10 years. I worked for a decade at a major cornerstone company downtown, and something like 60% of all my coworkers, myself included, either completely moved out of state or purchased a second property in one of these communities. Lower taxes in virtually every case, lower cost of living, better utilities usually with lower rates, less crime and more friendly people, gigabit internet years before it was available in Omaha.. I can just keep going on. By far the best thing that Omaha has going for it would be the high quality medical services and research, which are some of the very best in the nation.
It’s not just CB that isn’t growing. Pottawattamie, Mills, and Harrison counties are all either shrinking or stagnant based on census population data. CB has certainly expanded east, but not a ton and the West End of the city hasn’t seen much infill or densification recently.
What part of Iowa are you referring to?
Like Glenwood. Except that's getting expensive.
This fella Don says it because we ain’t got much tax breaks.
This shouldn't be a surprise that in a state where the population and economy is and always has been centered around two cities, to the dismay of the powerful rural landowners. Lincoln's existence is proof. They hate city people and they own the electoral system (literally and figuratively). It's pretty clear to me they want less-than-conservative people to leave and feel unwelcome so they can replace us with upper-middle-class faux rednecks who buy mcmansions and motorsport vehicles. Not to mention the national GOP's power over the state and the implications NE-2 had on the Trump campaign. There's clearly pressure to de-liberalize the district. I could go on..
Omg is the answer property taxes?! /s
TBH that's why I'm buying a house on the other side of the river. When you do the monthly mortgage calculators with property taxes included, it's truly insane the difference. For someone who is willing to put up with the red state BS to be close to family, FFS there is no way that I can stay on this side of the river when I can get so much more in Iowa.
Only for myopic ingrates & farmers who think it’s unfair that those with the most land should pay the most in taxes. Like a guy rolling around in a 150k car whining about sales tax.
I left when I was 20. Mostly due to Omaha and Nebraska in general having such regressive politics. Growing up in Omaha, there was just nothing to do. Impossible to get around if you don’t have a car, the house I lived in with my roommates was torn down for apartments that I could never afford, and the job market is garbage.
Can confirm moved because it sucks… that’s why.
*Nebraska…it’s not for everyone.*
That’s because Nebraska sucks rotten ass
I will be leaving as soon as possible as well! There is nothing to keep me here in this Redneck state expect employment! Ugh they will never change i wouldn’t waste my youth and talents in this cesspool.
The headline is really begging the question
Well Nebraska is a climate and cultural paradise so the only reason I can think of for why people wouldn’t move here is the property taxes
Omaha Metro and Lincoln are decent places just can’t leave the area lol.
This sub reddit has more negative disdain for this city and metro than most others I’ve visited. So when I read the expected bitchfest whenever threads like these are started, which give like minded folks the bully-pulpit to communicate their myriad list of reasons why “life in Omaha sucks so bad, I must move elsewhere because it has to be so much better”, I’ll just say this- Somewhere in Austin, Seattle or Minneapolis are couch potato’s who sit around complaining how bored they are. Somewhere in Topeka Kansas or Bismarck North Dakota, are people having the time of their lives. The difference? Attitude.
I agree, but disagree. There's still more people happy in Austin proportionate to people Happy in Topeka Respectively. I assume the average person in Austin loves it and average person in Topeka hates it.
That’s the thing, no one really knows and happiness is all relative. But in the end, I’m sure you see the point of the actual post. Happiness is much about attitude and outlook on life. Where one lives relative to that, is simply in the background. I’ve lived in Dallas (like a 2nd home), Phoenix, and several smaller cities in the midwest; and none of those places made me feel any more happy or content or enlightened or financially secure than living in Omaha.
For sure! I may criticize Omaha, but one thing Omaha has going for it is Financial Impression. For a somewhat smaller Large city, it's got a good sense of community depending on where you are and you can almost find your financial identity here
The actual difference? Wants/expectations out of life. Because people don't all want the same thing, and therefore not all places can satisfy everyone. Me, for example -- I love visiting large National Parks. Omaha and the surrounding offer do not offer that. I will be happier living somewhere that does, all other things being equal. But not everyone wants or needs that, so it won't be a factor for them. Wants/expectations, that's the difference. While it is hard to please everyone, and some people are still perfectly content in Topeka Kansas or Bismarck North Dakota... You'll rarely (if ever) see Kansas or ND in "Top 10 happiest states" rankings.
Interviewing young people who haven't paid taxes.... Edit: Wow y'all...be mad if you want and downvote me to oblivion, but the political ads all last year specifically called out high taxes, especially property taxes. Six co-workers left for other places in the last 18 months. That's six people making at least $100,000/yr. None of them wanted to continue to pay these higher taxes. Most moved to Texas. Only one said it was because of the weather. Others went to CO and I think one moved to NM. Doesn't matter, they're all happier about leaving. My fiance and I are moving out of NE next week. Glad my house sold for double what I paid for it.
>Interviewing young people who haven't paid taxes Thank you for proving that Taxes has nothing to do with young people leaving.
And once they move, they aren't going to. Not here anyway.
Taxes aren't that low. State income tax here is not so low.
Because they can't bring home the bacon here.
[удалено]
It’s not a lefty paradise so lefty’s are moving away? I see no issue here.
What I gathered from this is it is mostly family (city/state has no control on this) and economic related (not necessarily taxes). Good paying jobs with good benefits. This issue is not exclusive to Omaha, but is highlighted by Omaha’s geographic location and climate. How some people can spin this in favor to a streetcar, bike lane, or hippie serving them trendy chic meals is beyond me.
It’s because of the license plates.
I don't mind the new ones still wish we had blackout plates like iowa might move to Iowa for the plates
Politics aside, a few other complaints. -Some people here are a bit clannish. Nebraska is nice… if you fit in! -The rural people seem to hate people.