City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 2.9% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $102,900 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Milwaukee, WI and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $467 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Milwaukee, WI ($121,785 → $111,310), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.2% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,937 in Milwaukee | $97,147 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$467/yr.
60 Fair offer
Milwaukee, WI → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$467/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Hagerstown → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,548 | −11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $78,098 | −11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,606 | −11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $111,310 | −11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $131,535 | −11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $61,480 | $59,726 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $123,730 | $120,199 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $80,290 | $77,999 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $97,360 | $94,582 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.