City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 12.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $112,800 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,119 a month in Milwaukee, WI versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Brownsville, TX to Milwaukee, WI ($106,437 → $111,310), while prices change by +12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,750 in Milwaukee | $88,692 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
38 Weak offer
Milwaukee, WI → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Brownsville → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,548 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,098 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,606 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,310 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,535 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $61,480 | $54,528 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $123,730 | $109,738 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $80,290 | $71,211 (+7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $97,360 | $86,350 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.