City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Provo, UT are 1.3% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $101,300 in Provo, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $385 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Provo, UT ($111,310 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,336 in Provo | $98,682 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$385/yr.
65 Fair offer
Provo, UT → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$385/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Provo, UT | Real change, Milwaukee → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $61,722 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $74,678 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $89,508 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $106,437 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $125,776 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $62,930 | $62,100 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $131,210 | $129,480 (+4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $75,700 | $74,702 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $81,780 | $80,702 (−17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.