City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 7.9% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $107,900 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,919 a year in WI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.7% moving from Milwaukee, WI to New Haven, CT ($111,310 → $125,431), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,863 in New Haven | $92,710 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$6/yr.
45 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$6/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | New Haven, CT | Real change, Milwaukee → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $72,737 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $88,005 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $105,481 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $125,431 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $148,222 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $79,820 | $74,001 (+20.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $133,040 | $123,342 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $94,960 | $88,038 (+9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $104,490 | $96,873 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.