Median rent is 8% lower in Columbus ($1,295/mo vs $1,413/mo). Buying is cheaper in Columbus, where the median home runs $252,900 versus $372,900. Households earn more in Madison ($78,050 vs $66,082 a year).
City A
Columbus, OH
City B
Madison, WI
How much would you need to earn in Madison, WI to maintain your standard of living from Columbus, OH?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Columbus
Ohio
Madison
Wisconsin
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Columbus at $1,295/mo compared to $1,413/mo in Madison (8% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Madison: the median home is $372,900 versus $252,900 in Columbus — 32% more expensive.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Columbus
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Madison
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Columbus has cleaner air on average: 22.0 AQI (Good) compared to 27.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Madison if you prioritize higher median household income ($78,050/yr).
Is Columbus cheaper than Madison?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Columbus vs Madison?
Median rent is $1,295/mo in Columbus, OH and $1,413/mo in Madison, WI. Columbus, OH has the lower rent by about 8%.
Which has higher salaries — Columbus or Madison?
Median household income is $66,082 in Columbus, OH and $78,050 in Madison, WI. Madison, WI has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Columbus, OH has better air quality on average: 22.0 AQI versus 27.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Columbus or Madison?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Madison to match my Columbus income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
