City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 4.5% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $104,500 in Madison, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $816 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.0% moving from Huntsville, AL to Madison, WI ($110,847 → $106,437), while prices change by +4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.1% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,529 in Madison | $95,667 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$816/yr.
55 Fair offer
Madison, WI → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$816/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Madison, WI | Real change, Huntsville → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $61,722 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $74,678 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,508 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,437 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $125,776 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $63,690 | $60,931 (−2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $130,630 | $124,970 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $81,130 | $77,615 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $101,190 | $96,806 (+25.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.