City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 17.2% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $117,200 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Milwaukee, WI ($124,085 → $111,310), while prices change by −14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,357 in Milwaukee | $117,154 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Los Angeles → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,548 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $78,098 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,606 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,310 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,535 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $61,480 | $72,027 (−29.3%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $123,730 | $144,955 (−9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $80,290 | $94,063 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $97,360 | $114,062 (−15.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.