City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 5.0% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $105,000 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $771 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.3% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Providence, RI ($111,310 → $120,548), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,989 in Providence | $95,248 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$771/yr.
54 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$771/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Providence, RI | Real change, Milwaukee → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $69,905 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $84,579 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $101,375 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $120,548 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $142,452 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $86,720 | $82,599 (+34.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $130,690 | $124,480 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $95,020 | $90,505 (+12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $99,880 | $95,134 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.