Median rent is 25% lower in Milwaukee ($1,059/mo vs $1,413/mo). Buying is cheaper in Milwaukee, where the median home runs $184,000 versus $372,900. Households earn more in Madison ($78,050 vs $54,234 a year).
City A
Madison, WI
City B
Milwaukee, WI
How much would you need to earn in Milwaukee, WI to maintain your standard of living from Madison, WI?
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
Madison
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
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
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Milwaukee — median rent of $1,059/mo versus $1,413/mo in Madison, a 25% difference. Home buyers face a steeper market in Madison: the median home is $372,900 versus $184,000 in Milwaukee — 51% more expensive.
Metric
Madison
Milwaukee
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Madison
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Milwaukee
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Milwaukee 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).
Pick Milwaukee if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,059/mo median).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $1,413/mo in Madison, WI and $1,059/mo in Milwaukee, WI. Milwaukee, WI has the lower rent by about 25%.
Median household income is $78,050 in Madison, WI and $54,234 in Milwaukee, WI. Madison, WI has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Milwaukee, WI has better air quality on average: 22.0 AQI versus 27.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
