City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 6.3% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $106,300 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.8% moving from Dallas, TX to Milwaukee, WI ($115,711 → $111,310), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,031 in Milwaukee | $106,347 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
89 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Dallas → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $64,548 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $78,098 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $93,606 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $111,310 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $131,535 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $61,480 | $65,382 (+0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $123,730 | $131,584 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $80,290 | $85,386 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $97,360 | $103,540 (+2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.