City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 10.0% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $110,000 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.0% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Sacramento, CA ($111,310 → $117,984), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,041 in Sacramento | $90,876 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,832/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 | 18% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
33 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Milwaukee → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $68,419 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $82,780 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $99,218 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $117,984 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $139,422 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,550 | $133,570 | $121,383 (+19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $139,640 | $126,899 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $92,110 | $83,706 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $171,460 | $155,815 (+60.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.