10 Things You Didn’t Know About Omaha, NE
Think you have Omaha, NE, all figured out? Think again – this Midwest city has plenty of cool things up its sleeve. To better introduce you to the region, we enlisted the help of Cahner Olson, who moved to Omaha, NE, at age 7. While she left at 21 and spent nearly a decade working in California and Texas, she returned in 2020. Ahead, find 10 things you didn’t know about Omaha, NE.
In This Article
1. It’s home to 1 million people.
The Omaha, NE, metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1 million, and it’s still growing.
“Growing up, Omaha wasn’t a place people moved to – or at least I didn’t think it was,” Olson says. “Now, Facebook has a campus, and Google has an office here. People are moving for those opportunities, not just because they have family here.”
2. New developments are on the horizon.
Because Omaha, NE, is bounded on the east by the Missouri River, careful city planning is mandatory to ensure growth is well-managed.
According to information from the city, Olson says, “Omaha is putting a lot of money in Midtown and central Omaha, making it a better place to live.”
One example is a $306 million free-to-ride cable car system that will connect the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to downtown’s RiverFront development.
3. It offers diverse housing options.
Looking for the perfect place (and pace) to grow roots? Check out the city’s urban, suburban or rural neighborhoods. Downtown Omaha is booming, but for a slower pace of life, check out suburbs like Papillon, La Vista, Bennington and Chalco, all of which have excellent public schools. Want a home in the country that still provides easy access to Omaha’s amenities? Look for communities in Cass, Saunders and Washington counties.
4. It boasts a standout dining scene.
“We have great sushi, Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai – all these different types of cuisines,” says Olson, who points out that local ice cream parlor Coneflower Creamery was named best ice cream shop in the country in 2023 by Yelp. Omaha’s fine-dining options are legit, too. The area is home to several James Beard Award nominees (an honor akin to being nominated for an Academy Award in the film world): Jennifer Coco of Brushi, Tim Nicholson of The Boiler Room, David Utterback of Yoshitomo and Kane Adkisson of Kano are just a few.
5. It has plenty of higher education options.
Omaha, NE’s, higher education institutions attract students from a variety of backgrounds and provide cultural and sporting events and job opportunities for the region at large. Examples include Metro Community College, Bellevue University, University of Nebraska Omaha, UNMC, Clarkson College, College of Saint Mary and Creighton University. Around 53,000 college students call the city home.
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6. It’s known as a great place to move.
In 2024, forbes.com named Omaha the best city in the country to move to, giving it a perfect 100 based on factors like housing costs, air quality, cost of living, quality of education and weather.
“People want to move out of New York and LA to suburban places that have a lot to do but have a lower cost of living,” Olson says. “When you live in a city like Omaha and that’s the norm, you don’t realize a lot of other cities don’t have that as a norm. It makes me really appreciate Omaha.”
7. Its sports scene is pretty amazing.
Sports fans won’t be bored here. The city is home to a professional indoor football team (the aptly named Omaha Beef), professional women’s indoor volleyball team (LOVB Nebraska), a minor league baseball team (the Storm Chasers), the annual Men’s College World Series, a Tier I junior hockey team (the Lancers), a professional volleyball team (the Supernovas), University of Nebraska Omaha athletics and the Omaha Roller Derby. Soccer fans have much to look forward to, as well: Plans for a 7,000-seat soccer stadium and mixed-use development for the Union Omaha pro soccer club are in the works.
8. It has an amazing RiverFront.
Downtown Omaha’s RiverFront development has transformed over 70 acres along the shores of the Missouri River into parks, playgrounds, a “Skate Ribbon” for summer rollerblading and winter ice skating, a sculpture garden, trails, volleyball courts, an urban beach and more.
9. It’s quite diverse.
Nebraska has long welcomed global refugees seeking safety from persecution due to their race, religion, nationality or political beliefs. In 2016, the state admitted more refugees per capita than any other U.S. state.
10. People love it here.
Olson says most people are surprised by how much they enjoy the city. She recalls visits from California-based friends whose perception of the city changed from “flyover state” to “so much cooler than I thought” in a single visit.
“People I’ve had visit me say, ‘The city surprised me a lot,’” she says. “It makes me have a lot of pride in the city. People have put so much financial and emotional investment into the city. The growth trajectory isn’t stopping anytime soon.”
This article was sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.