City comparison
Madison, WI vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 15.7% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $115,700 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,482 in Madison, WI. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in New York, NY than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Madison, WI to New York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +15.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Madison, WI | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,702 in New York | $86,429 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Madison, WI and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Madison, WI to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | New York, NY | Real change, Madison → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | New York, NY | New York pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $96,900 | $83,750 (+31.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $166,830 | $144,189 (+10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $105,650 | $91,312 (+12.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $119,720 | $103,473 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.