City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 19.3% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $119,300 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.5% moving from Milwaukee, WI to San Francisco, CA ($111,310 → $133,060), while prices change by +19.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,266 in San Francisco | $83,846 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.3%; 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; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Milwaukee → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $77,161 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $93,358 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $111,896 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $133,060 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $157,236 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,550 | $162,310 | $136,091 (+34.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $186,640 | $156,490 (+26.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $110,730 | $92,843 (+15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $186,610 | $156,465 (+60.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.