City comparison
Madison, WI vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Madison, WI are 2.8% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $102,800 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $849 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Madison, WI to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Madison, WI | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,311 in Pittsburgh | $102,763 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$849/yr.
77 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Madison, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$849/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Madison, WI to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Madison → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $76,550 | $78,665 (+23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $124,500 | $127,940 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $76,940 | $79,066 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $82,370 | $84,646 (−16.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.