City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 8.6% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $108,600 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,119 a month in Milwaukee, WI versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $648 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Columbus, GA to Milwaukee, WI ($112,556 → $111,310), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,557 in Milwaukee | $92,118 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$648/yr.
44 Weak offer
Milwaukee, WI → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$648/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Columbus → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $64,548 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $78,098 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $93,606 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $111,310 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $131,535 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $61,480 | $56,634 (−7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $123,730 | $113,977 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,290 | $73,961 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $97,360 | $89,686 (+8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.