City comparison
Austin, TX vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 1.2% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $101,200 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Austin, TX to Milwaukee, WI ($109,428 → $111,310), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,849 in Milwaukee | $101,165 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
72 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Austin, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Austin → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $64,548 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $78,098 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $93,606 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $111,310 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $131,535 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,480 | $62,196 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $123,730 | $125,171 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $80,290 | $81,225 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $97,360 | $98,494 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.