City comparison
Milwaukee, 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 16.1% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $116,100 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $940 a year higher in New York, NY than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.7% moving from Milwaukee, WI to New York, NY ($111,310 → $125,431), while prices change by +16.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,120 in New York | $86,118 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/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 | 18% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.9%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$940/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$940/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | New York, NY | Real change, Milwaukee → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $72,737 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $88,005 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $105,481 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $125,431 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $148,222 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | New York, NY | New York pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $96,900 | $83,448 (+35.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $166,830 | $143,671 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $105,650 | $90,984 (+13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $119,720 | $103,100 (+5.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.