City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 1.5% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $101,500 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,194 a month in Columbus, OH versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Columbus, OH and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,952 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Columbus, OH to Milwaukee, WI ($111,065 → $111,310), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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, OH | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,538 in Milwaukee | $98,486 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,952/yr.
64 Fair offer
Milwaukee, WI → Columbus, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,952/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Columbus → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $64,548 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $78,098 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $93,606 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $111,310 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $131,535 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $61,480 | $60,549 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $123,730 | $121,856 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $80,290 | $79,074 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $97,360 | $95,886 (+14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.