Why Nebraska

With its high quality of life, low cost of living, good people and great opportunities, Nebraska is a wonderful place to find a job, start a business, or raise a family. The Good Life is Calling!

Why Nebraska?

  • Strategic Location: Centrally located in the U.S., Nebraska offers easy access to major markets, suppliers, and customers, reducing distribution costs.
  • Pro-Business Policies: Nebraska’s business-friendly regulatory environment includes tax incentives, grants, and a streamlined permitting process, fostering growth and innovation.
  • Skilled Workforce: The state boasts a well-educated and diverse workforce with a strong work ethic and adaptability, making it an ideal location for various industries.
  • Low Operating Costs: Nebraska’s low cost of living and competitive business operating costs result in increased profitability and a higher quality of life for employees.
  • Infrastructure: With an extensive network of highways, railways, and access to major shipping routes, Nebraska facilitates efficient transportation of goods across the country.
  • Innovation and R&D: The state’s commitment to research and development is evident through collaborations between academia, industry, and government, fostering innovation.
  • Energy Resources: Abundant and affordable energy sources, including renewable options, provide a cost-effective advantage for businesses in Nebraska.
  • Agribusiness Hub: Nebraska’s robust agriculture sector provides a steady supply of raw materials and a foundation for related industries, such as food processing.
  • Quality of Life: The state’s safe communities, excellent healthcare, top-tier education, and recreational opportunities contribute to a high quality of life for residents.
  • Proximity to Universities: Access to renowned research universities and community colleges offers a continuous pool of skilled talent and opportunities for partnerships.
  • Business Support Networks: Nebraska’s active chambers of commerce, industry associations, and economic development agencies collaborate to provide support and resources to businesses.

Incentives

Nebraska’s incentive programs are designed to meet the needs of expanding and relocating businesses.

ImagiNE Nebraska is our redesigned incentives portfolio created with small and large businesses in mind. Whether expanding your business or relocating to Nebraska, let us help you ImagiNE the possibilities.

ImagiNE is a performance-based incentives program that rewards you for hiring, investing, relocating and expanding in Nebraska. Credits earned are based on the number of Full Time Equivalent Employees (FTE’s) that are added and the amount of investment made at qualified locations in the state.

Incentives include:

  • Wage credits awarded for wages paid to new FTE’s
  • Investment credits awarded for investment made in qualified property at qualified locations
  • Sales/use tax direct refunds and exemptions
  • Personal property tax exemptions

Example of credits earned at the Manufacturing Growth and Expansion-Rural level:

  • Investment: $5 Million
  • FTE’s added: 35
  • Average wage of new FTE’s: $41,600/yr
  • Wage Credits: $611,520†
  • Investment Credits: $200,000‡
  • Total Estimated Credits: $811,520

Eligible activities:

  • Manufacturing – 31, 32, or 33, including pre-production services
  • Testing Laboratories – 541380
  • Rail Transportation – 482
  • Truck Transportation – 484
  • Insurance Carriers – 5241
  • Wired Telecommunications Carriers – 517311
  • Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) – 517312
  • Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers – 561422
  • Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services – 518210
  • Computer Facilities Management Services – 541513
  • Warehousing and Storage – 4931
  • Administrative Management of the taxpayer’s activities, including headquarter facilities.
  • Logistics Facilities – Portions of NAICS 488210, 488310, and 488490 dealing with independently operated trucking terminals, independently operated railroad and railway terminals, and waterfront terminal and port facility operations.
  • Services provided on aircraft brought into the state
  • Conducting of research, development, or testing, or any combination thereof, for scientific, agricultural, animal husbandry, food product, industrial, or technology purposes.
  • Production of electricity by using one or more sources of renewable energy to produce electricity for sale.
  • Computer Systems Design and Related Services – 5415
  • Financial Services
  • Post-harvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) – 115114
  • Processing of tangible personal property

Quality of Place

Strong Economy

Nebraska’s strong economy is partly driven by its low unemployment and strong labor participation rate. In fact, Nebraska ranks #1 in the country for labor force participation. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing recession, Nebraska’s economy outperformed that of many other states and the nation as a whole. Despite the severe effects of the pandemic, Nebraska’s economic conditions have remained more stable throughout the crisis, in a pattern resembling other recent recessions.

The Cornhusker State counts corn production as a leading crop, and its “Golden Triangle” of corn, livestock and ethanol production drives its economy.

Manufacturing is Nebraska’s fastest-growing industry and one of the state’s most significant economic drivers. Nebraska’s highly productive workforce, affordable real estate and utility costs, low cost of doing business and high-quality transportation networks make the state a natural fit for continued manufacturing growth.

Utilities

Nebraska ranks #1 for power grid reliability and fifth in electricity price, according to US News & World Report. Nebraska’s use of renewable power also helped contribute to its strong showing in this category.

Education

Nebraska continuously finds itself ranking high on two lists—best high school graduation rate and best teacher-student ratio.  

Students get firsthand, real-world experience through mentorships, internships, and more—like earning industry certificates through Career Academies. 

Nebraska’s extensive community college system offers affordable training for the future workforce, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a top-ranked research university.

Infrastructure

Located in the middle of everything and built for connections. With nine major airports and over 300 miles of inland waterways, Nebraska has the infrastructure in place to support your business.

Nebraska is a centrally located transportation hub for the nation. The coasts are reachable within two days by truck or train. Nebraska is home to several of the nation’s leading transportation companies and is located on one of the busiest rail corridors in North America.

Two of the Nation’s top 10 trucking companies, Werner Enterprises and Crete Carrier Corporation, are headquartered in Nebraska. Deliveries can reach 90% of the U.S. population within two days via truck. 

Union Pacific Railroad’s headquarters, dispatch center, and largest rail yard all call Nebraska home.

With no inventory tax, Nebraska promotes a strong warehousing and logistics sector, with 11,500 trucking companies and two in the top 10 nationally, according to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Fiscal Stability

Because of its relatively lower long-term liabilities and pension obligations, plus healthy tax receipts and a large cash reserve, count on Nebraska for both long- and short-term fiscal stability.

Opportunity

“The good life” is more than the state’s unofficial motto. Nebraska is known for its high quality of life, with affordable housing, excellent neighborhoods, low crime rates, and a healthy environment. The state’s healthcare system is also top-rated, providing access to quality medical care to all its residents. 

Cost of Doing Business

Ranked as one of America’s Top 10 States for Business year-in and year-out, Nebraska is a state that combines affordability, opportunity and an environment primed for growth. 

The cost of doing business in Nebraska is 8% below the national average, and we are a right-to-work state.

Workforce

The proof is in the people. Nebraska has earned a reputation for its skilled, hard-working labor force—partly because we have one of the best educational systems in the nation. We’re proud to rank #9 in the country overall for education (U.S. News and World Report, 2021) while consistently maintaining one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates.

If you’re looking for a highly skilled and talented workforce, look no further than Nebraska. Ninety-two percent of Nebraskans age 25+ have a high school diploma. The state’s customized Job Training Program provides assistance to employers looking to train new employees or to up-skill current employees. 

Low Crime Rate

Welcome to Nebraska, where opportunity meets security. Our state boasts more than just stunning landscapes and a thriving business environment. We’re also proud to have one of the lowest crime rates in the nation. When you choose Nebraska, you’re not only selecting a place where your business can flourish, but also a community where safety and peace of mind are a way of life.

Cost of Living

Nebraska ranks lower than the national average on housing, utilities, transportation and health costs. We’re one of the best places in the country to raise a family.

Recreation

Sometimes the good life is best lived outside. With more than 200 golf courses, 100 lakes, 500 miles of bike trails and eight state parks, there’s something for everyone.

A few facts about the 1.9 million people enjoying The Good Life:

  • A quarter of Nebraskans are under the age of 18.
  • Nebraska has a low unemployment rate of 3% (compared to the national average of 3.6%).
  • 91% of Nebraskans have high school degrees, and 30% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
  • The median household income is approximately $56,500.

According to the Civic Health Index, Nebraska outpaced many states in social connectedness, scoring Top 10 rankings in areas such as spending frequent time with family, friends, and neighbors. It also ranked No. 6 nationally (40.2 percent) in volunteerism and working with neighbors to achieve positive local results (29.5 percent), which fall under the “community engagement” indicator.