There is space
in nebraska
in nebraska
We call it "The Good Life." It means finding a home where you can live with joy and opportunity. It means we work hard, because we know it will pay off. We watch out for one another, because neighbors are friends and friends are family.
We're at the heart of the country geographically, socially and economically. And while we consider ourselves down-to-earth, every single Nebraskan wakes up every morning and reaches for the stars.
Population: 1.934 million (2019)
Capital: Lincoln
Median Income: $56,675
Unemployment: 3%
HS Graduate: 23.2%
Bachelor's Degree: 22.6%
Welcome to Greater Omaha, a home where people can stand up and
stand out. With a diverse business community and bustling arts and entertainment culture, Omaha is the heartbeat of the Heartland.
For more than 165 years we’ve forged ahead, pushed the limits
and embraced the frontier. We don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
That’s what we mean when we say, We Don't Coast.
Greater Omaha is seven counties strong, including Bellevue in Sarpy County. From Offutt's beginnings in 1921 to its role in global operations today, we're proud to support military personnel, their families and the mission of national defense.
Bellevue |
Greater Omaha |
|
Population: 53,225 Median Income: $63,443 Veteran Population: 14.6% Bachelor's Degree: 20.1% Median Home : $143,900 |
Population: 959,574 Median Income: $64,697 Veteran Population: 6.4% Bachelor's Degree: 25% Median Home: $161,633 |
Midwest universities have a robust history of leveraging their collective strengths. For example, eight Midwest universities are members of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GP-IDEA) where faculty collaborate on a student-centric online academic environment that maximizes learning and preparation for career advancement.
As such, we will launch the Higher Education Space Research and Workforce Alliance from the heart of our nation.
Alliance members will be represented by their chief executive for maximum agility.
Four institutions are already committed:
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Omaha has a funnel to the workforce you need. We are a hub, drawing not just from the far reaches of western Nebraska, but the entire Midwest. This regional focus gives us a head start when it comes to building the workforce of the future.
The greater Omaha workforce is:
90% of Nebraskans earn a high school diploma
Omaha has 4.3% more college graduates than the national average
2.3% population growth for individuals 18+
4.6 grads per 10,000 in science-related fields; above national average
We know we're all in it together. Our partnerships blur boundaries between government, education and business. The collective and common good is a goal worth pursuing, using the skills and capacity of every entity in the region.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center has been elevated over the last three years through forward-thinking partnerships. From the Buffett Cancer Center, a $213 million facility that represents the largest public-private partnership in medical center history, to the Davis Global Center, which became fully operational just in time for the novel coronavirus pandemic. The state has already approved money for the transformational NeXT Project, a federal all-hazard military and civilian disaster response center.
In 2020, the doors opened on a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership to build a new, state-of-the-art VA Hospital in Omaha. With $30 million in locally raised money assisting in the construction, the hospital came in on-time and under-budget, and served as a model for other partnerships nationwide.
Glenn Cunningham Lake within the city of Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska, is one of 23 federal flood control sites identified in a 1967 USACE report for the Papillion Creek Watershed. An exclusively unique and successful public-private partnership between the Lake Cunningham Development Trust (LCDT), the City of Omaha, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the State of Nebraska through input from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) allowed this $19M project to be realized.
Without blurring the lines between legitimate public purposes and private management, the Lake Cunningham project is a new model of responsible stewardship of the public assets of the park, and an investment in the future of the community.
The Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI), a world-renowned research, education and service provider for persons with disabilities, will be moving into their new $85 million facility in late 2020 and start serving patients in early 2021. The new 220,000 square foot facility, to be located in the Aksarben mixed-use development and adjacent to the University of Nebraska South Campus, will double the Institute’s current footprint.
The project was facilitated by $68 million in private donations to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, of which MMI is a part, and a $10 million allocation by the State of Nebraska. Clinical revenue and support from UNMC will provide the remaining $7 million in funding. The building was purchased in 2017 by the NU Foundation at a cost of $30 million. Approximately $2.2 million in philanthropic funds will also be provided annually to the operating budget.
Bellevue, and the entire Omaha region, loves Offutt Air Force Base. As our largest employer, we understand the importance of creating a community that includes and supports military personnel and their families. It's been that way for as long as we can remember, and it will continue to be that way for generations to come.
That's probably why we were named #7 on SmartAsset's "Best States for Veterans" list.
The aim of the Commission is to help the State of Nebraska preserve and protect military installations across the state, attract new missions to the state's military installations, and serve Nebraska's military and veteran families.
Statewide military and veterans groups focused on issues relevant
to the base.
Traces its beginnings to the days of Strategic Air Command and General Curtis L. Lemay.
Local business and civic leaders supporting the Airmen and families
of Offutt AFB that have provided millions in donations, public/private partnerships and other contributions that enable a lethal, resilient
and ready force.
Project examples include world-class fieldhouse (#2 in USAF, 100% SCC-funded project) and base/community partnership for shared-use aquatics center, bike trail, and parade grounds renovation.
Focused attention to assist in providing non-appropriated support during flood recovery.
Offutt AFB is the home for global missions of national consequence. The 55 WG,
557 WW, USSTRATCOM, Marine Corp Forces Space Command and elements of USSPACECOM are all mutually
supporting missions.
Offutt AFB's workforce is experienced in global matters and is fully aware of the challenges with our adversaries. Given
the past partnership between U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Space Command, the surrounding community has a strong workforce with joint combatant command experience in space operations, intelligence, planning, exercises and analysis.
Offutt AFB already has experience in space planning and operations. As the combatant command headquarters for the U.S. military's space operations for the last
two decades, Offutt possesses the infrastructure necessary to support
U.S. Space Command missions, and offers the opportunity for unique operational synergies with U.S. Strategic Command.
As two global warfighting combatant commands with deeply interconnected missions, U.S. Strategic Command and
U.S. Space Command will inevitably continue to be close partners. Co-location will allow their partnership to develop on a level simply unachievable from separate locations. For example, U.S. Strategic Command serves as DoD's lead for Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) and it has established the NC3 Enterprise Center at Offutt. Since space-based capabilities play a vital role in our current and future NC3 architecture, the Center is developing a workforce that includes a cadre with a unique understanding of systems integration and engineering related to space systems.
Co-location will enhance collaboration between the two organizations, with U.S. Space Command–a member of the NC3 Stakeholder Council–contributing to the NC3 Center's work while also benefitting from its expertise.
The National Guard and Reserve presence on Offutt AFB will complement the needs of U.S. Space Command. To compete, deter and win in a warfighting domain such as Space, U.S. Space Command can leverage the warfighting expertise of the
mutually-supporting missions at Offutt AFB, which include the integrated academic activities focused on Space Law, DoD research and Deterrence.
Offutt AFB hosted the military's space mission for nearly two decades. The legacy of Space is still woven into the fabric of the base and surrounding community.
Co-locating the combatant commands of U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Space Command creates a strong, shared efficiency of operations beyond the successful mission.
It's not something you can quantify, but it's something you can feel. It's something Nebraskans experience every single day. It's the stories that show how we all find life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on the Great Plains. The ripple effect that happens when people have joy in what they do, diverse and like-minded friends to share it with and an entire state that knows how to work hard and when to take it easy.
Omaha is unmatched in access to high-quality healthcare. With two university-affiliated medical centers (Nebraska and Creighton) and a host of other hospitals and health care providers, Omaha is above average with one health care worker for every 30 residents.
With more than 100 miles of urban trails in Omaha and 14 state parks within 40 miles, there is room to stretch your legs. And spirit. You're never too far from a weekend getaway that reconnects with the
great outdoors.
According to U.S. News and World Report, Nebraska has the best ranking of all finalists in terms of corrections and public safety. Our low violent crime, property crime and incarceration rates are reflective of our strong communities and values.
It all starts here. With a mix of urban and suburban living, access to affordable housing and quality education, this is where families thrive. Some call this "livability." We just call it the way things
should be.
Every year the Boys of Summer come to Omaha for 10 days of electricity. The city hums as hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors gather to watch a National Champion crowned. Add the Huskers down the street, and our long-time hosting of the U.S. National Swim Trials, and you have the undisputed home of amateur athletics.
Often listed as one of the top two zoos in the country, this community jewel is always adding new exhibits and amazing experiences for animal lovers of all ages. As a global leader in conservation, Omaha's zoo is a place to learn, explore and save the world in a whole other way.
Just a small hike from Offutt AFB is this quiet woodland. Here you're just as likely to come across a fawn, fox or bald eagle as you are anyone else. The forest is also home to the Treetop Rush ropes course, and the feathered friends at the Raptor Woodland Refuge.
Some places you live. Here, you get to be alive. With a vibrant, diversified economy, strong workforce participation and supply chain centrality, Nebraska is a leader in low cost of living.
"One of the most affordable costs of living in the U.S. coupled with an unemployment rate of 3.1%...Additionally, Nebraska is home to four Fortune 500 companies."
—U.S. News & World Report
No region can prosper unless all its people can prosper. That's why the Greater Omaha Chamber has put several initiatives in place to lift up marginalized populations and provide opportunity for all.
COMMITMENT TO OPPORTUNITY, DIVERSITY & EQUITY
Launched in 2017 to help the community achieve sustainable growth in areas of diversity and inclusivity. It has two primary programs:
This program is dedicated to providing training for construction entrepreneurs and individuals–especially those from underrepresented communities. Through education and assistance, these emerging business owners develop the skills they need for success in our region's construction industry.
"In 2002, we merged the first U.S. Space Command with U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha because of the natural synergies between space operations and all of the strategic roles then resident in USSTRATCOM.
Many of those synergies still exist and I believe co-location of these two important commands would make a great deal of sense, especially given the proactive ability of the region to craft public-private partnerships and national security research support and the always-welcoming spirit of the people of Nebraska."
- ADM (Ret.) James O. Ellis, Jr., U.S. Navy, Former Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command
"In the early 2000s, Gallup's executive committee made a number of site visits related to moving our global operational headquarters. Hands down... no community was as welcoming to our associates and their families as the Greater Omaha community. In 2003, 575 Gallup associates, and their families, moved to the Riverfront Campus in Omaha... and we'll never leave.
There is simply a "different kind of American" that lives, and thrives, in the Omaha area.
I very strongly encourage the leadership team of the U.S. Space Command to relocate as many people and families to Omaha as possible. Their wellbeing (and thus their productivity) will surge as a result."
- James K. Clifton, Chairman and CEO, Gallup
"I grew up in Nebraska, was educated in the Midwest, and went on to a 33-year career with NASA, including two missions to the International Space Station. In my experience, Offutt Air Force Base is an ideal location to house the U.S. Space Command headquarters.
The 'educational infrastructure' in Nebraska is well-positioned to provide a current, and future, workforce that is steeped in a strong work ethic, integrity and honesty. It is with pleasure and confidence that I support the Offutt AFB candidacy for this important and timely U.S. Space Command headquarters."
-Clayton Anderson, Retired NASA Astronaut