Cost of Living Comparisons
Milwaukee is Accessible, Affordable, and Ideally Located.
View a data comparison to see how Milwaukee compares to other major cities in population, commute, living costs, home prices, and median rent.
| METRO AREA | POPULATION | COMMUTE | LIVING COSTS | HOME PRICES | MEDIAN RENT |
| Atlanta | 6.0 million | 27 minutes | $105,057 | $233,200 | $1,270 |
| Boston | 4.9 million | 31 minutes | $154,799 | $491,900 | $2,336 |
| Charlotte, NC | 2.6 million | 26 minutes | $100,103 | $258,600 | $1,020 |
| Chicago | 9.5 million | 35 minutes | $127,141 | $265,100 | $1,480 |
| Columbus, OH | 2.1 million | 22 minutes | $93,705 | $216,600 | $1,036 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | 7.6 million | 27 minutes | $108,772 | $268,600 | $1,470 |
| Denver | 3.0 million | 25 minutes | $116,821 | $462,100 | $1,605 |
| Indianapolis | 2.1 million | 23 minutes | $95,769 | $200,100 | $ 946 |
| Kansas City | 2.2 million | 22 minutes | $98,039 | $219,400 | $1,021 |
| MILWAUKEE/RACINE | 1.8 million | 22 minutes | $100,000 | $268,400 | $1,308 |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | 3.6 million | 23 minutes | $109,701 | $288,600 | $1,308 |
| Portland, OR | 2.5 million | 26 minutes | $135,191 | $409,300 | $1,536 |
| San Jose, CA | 2.0 million | 30 minutes | $202,580 | $1,265,000 | $3,051 |
| Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg | 3.2 million | 24 minutes | $91,950 | $245,000 | $1,390 |
NOTES:
Population for metropolitan area taken from U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division - Release Date: March 2020.
Commute indicates average one-way commute time (2014-2018 American Community Survey - U.S. Census Bureau data).
Living Costs based on the relative cost-of-living index (ACCRA Cost-of-Living Index- 2018).
Home Prices indicates median sales price of single-family homes (2019 - National Association of Realtors®).
Median Rent is the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment (2021 Estimates - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).
