City comparison
Albany, NY vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Albany, NY are 2.7% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $102,700 in Albany, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,417 a month in Albany, NY versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Albany, NY and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Albany, NY to Milwaukee, WI ($109,810 → $111,310), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,360 in Milwaukee | $102,712 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
77 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Albany, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Albany → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $64,548 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $78,098 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $93,606 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $111,310 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $131,535 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $61,480 | $63,147 (−20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $123,730 | $127,086 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $80,290 | $82,468 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $97,360 | $100,000 (+0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.