City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 5.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $105,800 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL and $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $816 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.5% moving from Birmingham, AL to Milwaukee, WI ($107,510 → $111,310), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,776 in Milwaukee | $94,540 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$816/yr.
52 Fair offer
Milwaukee, WI → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$816/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Birmingham → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $64,548 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $78,098 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $93,606 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $111,310 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $131,535 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,480 | $58,123 (−7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $123,730 | $116,974 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,290 | $75,906 (−3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $97,360 | $92,044 (+17.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.