City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 1.3% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $101,300 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $438 a year higher in Milwaukee, WI than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Raleigh, NC ($111,310 → $111,147), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,259 in Raleigh | $98,757 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Raleigh, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$438/yr.
64 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$438/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Milwaukee → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $64,453 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $77,983 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $93,468 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $111,147 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $131,342 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $60,170 | $59,422 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $132,770 | $131,120 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $81,950 | $80,931 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $84,830 | $83,776 (−14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.