City comparison
Boston, MA vs Madison, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 11.3% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $111,300 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,482 in Madison, WI. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 24% in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $861 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Boston, MA to Madison, WI ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Madison, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,859 in Madison | $111,285 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,482/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $58,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Madison, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 99.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 89.8 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$861/yr.
100 Strong offer
Madison, WI → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$861/yr.
15 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Madison, WI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Madison, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Madison, WI | Real change, Boston → Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Madison, WI | Madison pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,550 | $104,110 | $115,859 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $130,630 | $145,372 (−12.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $81,130 | $90,286 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $101,190 | $112,609 (+6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.