Median rent is 6% lower in Madison ($1,413/mo vs $1,509/mo). Buying is cheaper in Fort Worth, where the median home runs $303,000 versus $372,900. Households earn more in Fort Worth ($79,507 vs $78,050 a year).
City A
Fort Worth, TX
City B
Madison, WI
How much would you need to earn in Madison, WI to maintain your standard of living from Fort Worth, TX?
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
Fort Worth
Texas
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 Madison at $1,413/mo compared to $1,509/mo in Fort Worth (6% gap). Median home values are within 19% of each other: $303,000 in Fort Worth and $372,900 in Madison.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Fort Worth
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Madison
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Madison (avg AQI 27.0) but not yet for Fort Worth.
Is Fort Worth cheaper than Madison?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Fort Worth vs Madison?
Median rent is $1,509/mo in Fort Worth, TX and $1,413/mo in Madison, WI. Madison, WI has the lower rent by about 6%.
Which has higher salaries — Fort Worth or Madison?
Median household income is $79,507 in Fort Worth, TX and $78,050 in Madison, WI. Fort Worth, TX 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?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Fort Worth or Madison?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Madison to match my Fort Worth 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
