City comparison
Durham, NC vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Durham, NC (97.6) and Milwaukee, WI (96.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Durham, NC goes as far as $99,300 in Milwaukee, WI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $438 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.1% moving from Durham, NC to Milwaukee, WI ($111,147 → $111,310), while prices change by −0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (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
| Durham, NC | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,349 in Milwaukee | $100,655 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$438/yr.
71 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Durham, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$438/yr.
67 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Durham → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $64,548 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $78,098 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $93,606 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $111,310 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $131,535 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,670 | $101,550 | $102,215 (−21.2%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $123,730 | $124,541 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,290 | $80,816 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $97,360 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.