Omaha/Council Bluffs is being named as one of the nation’s top ten most affordable metro areas in which to retire, according to U.S. News and World Report. David Brown, C-E-O of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, says the area offers a vibrant mix of things to do and also attracts younger people with its affordability.
Brown says, "You start looking at all the robust quality of life amenities that are here, you realize this might be a great place for them to locate even when their career is in full swing." One of the considerations in the survey was the availability of health care and Brown says Omaha/Council Bluffs has that covered.
He says, "We have one of the most dynamic health care systems in the country with two medical schools, three medical centers and a broad selection of opportunities and specialists." Brown says it’s always a good thing when the metro area gets this kind of recognition.
"Last year we were ranked in 32 rankings like this in the top ten of something or another and there has been eight or nine of them already this year that we have shown up in," Brown says.
The magazine noted that billionaire Warren Buffett continues to live in the same Omaha home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. While housing costs have gone up, the median home price in Omaha is now $113,044.
The other cities that made the cut are: Binghamton, New York; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Cocoa, Florida; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Montgomery, Alabama; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Roswell, New Mexico; San Antonio, Texas and South Bend, Indiana.