City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 3.4% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $103,400 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Port St. Lucie, FL ($111,310 → $113,356), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,395 in Port St. Lucie | $96,716 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
58 Fair offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Milwaukee → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $65,735 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $79,533 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $95,326 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $113,356 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $133,953 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $53,610 | $51,850 (−15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $128,510 | $124,290 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $79,430 | $76,822 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $82,090 | $79,395 (−18.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.