2020 is a year to remember, but through the challenges, Omaha fares well when compared to other U.S. cities. Omaha is used to seeing itself ranked as a “best of” city. The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce website boasts a large number of national accolades for the Omaha metro area.
Among the most impressive lists are:
• Best Places to Live
• Best Places to Raise Children
• Best Cities to Work from Home
• Best Work-Life Balance
• Best Cities for New College Grads
• Top Places to Retire
The National Association of REALTORS® recently added to the accolades by tagging Omaha as a top ten area for millennial homebuyers during the pandemic. NAR identified the top ten markets with excellent opportunities for millennial homebuyers. The report analyzed current housing affordability conditions, the presence of millennials in the area, and local job market conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study looked at the largest 100 metropolitan statistical areas across the country. “It is worth noting the vast divergence that has developed among states,” according to Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist, “Five states have unemployment rates below five percent: Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont. But states with a stricter and longer lockdown, or heavily dependent on tourism, have unemployment rates above ten percent each.”
The following markets made NAR’s top ten list for millennials (in alphabetical order):
• Austin-Round Rock, Texas
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
• Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa
• Durham-Chapel Hill-Raleigh, N.C.
• Houston-The Woodlands, Texas
• Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Ind.
• Omaha, Nebraska/Council Bluffs, Iowa
• Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Wash.
• Salt Lake City, Utah
