City comparison
Madison, WI vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 13.5% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $113,500 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,482 in Madison, WI. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 24% in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Madison, WI to San Jose, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Madison, WI | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,502 in San Jose | $88,104 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Madison, WI and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Madison, WI is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Madison, WI to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | San Jose, CA | Real change, Madison → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,110 | $176,120 | $155,169 (+49.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $213,110 | $187,758 (+43.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $121,700 | $107,222 (+32.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $216,740 | $190,956 (+88.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.