Median rent is 8% lower in Madison ($1,413/mo vs $1,528/mo). Buying is cheaper in Madison, where the median home runs $372,900 versus $387,500. Households earn more in Madison ($78,050 vs $73,530 a year).
City A
Glendale, AZ
City B
Madison, WI
How much would you need to earn in Madison, WI to maintain your standard of living from Glendale, AZ?
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
Glendale
Arizona
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 $1,528/mo in Glendale (8% gap). Median home values are within 4% of each other: $387,500 in Glendale 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.
Glendale
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Madison
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Both cities have similar air quality: Glendale averages 28.0 AQI (Good) and Madison averages 27.0 AQI (Good).
Pick Madison if you prioritize higher median household income ($78,050/yr).
Is Glendale cheaper than Madison?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Glendale vs Madison?
Median rent is $1,528/mo in Glendale, AZ and $1,413/mo in Madison, WI. Madison, WI has the lower rent by about 8%.
Which has higher salaries — Glendale or Madison?
Median household income is $73,530 in Glendale, AZ 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?
Madison, WI has better air quality on average: 27.0 AQI versus 28.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Glendale or Madison?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Madison to match my Glendale 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
