Cost of Living Comparisons
Milwaukee is Accessible, Affordable, and Ideally Located.
Milwaukee compares favorably to cities of similar size in regard to commute time, living costs, home prices, and rents.
| METRO AREA | POPULATION | COMMUTE | LIVING COSTS | HOME PRICES | MEDIAN RENT |
| Atlanta | 6.0 million | 27 minutes | $105,057 | $365,200 | $1,690 |
| Boston | 4.9 million | 31 minutes | $154,799 | $686,000 | $2,635 |
| Charlotte, NC | 2.6 million | 26 minutes | $100,103 | $398,600 | $1,170 |
| Chicago | 9.5 million | 35 minutes | $127,141 | $346,000 | $1,510 |
| Columbus, OH | 2.1 million | 22 minutes | $93,705 | $301,000 | $1,032 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | 7.6 million | 27 minutes | $108,772 | $386,000 | $1,620 |
| Denver | 3.0 million | 25 minutes | $116,821 | $671,000 | $1,856 |
| Indianapolis | 2.1 million | 23 minutes | $95,769 | $295,000 | $1,065 |
| Kansas City | 2.2 million | 22 minutes | $98,039 | $310,000 | $1,164 |
| MILWAUKEE/RACINE | 1.8 million | 22 minutes | $100,000 | $345,000 | $1,092 |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | 3.6 million | 23 minutes | $109,701 | $375,000 | $1,410 |
| Portland, OR | 2.5 million | 26 minutes | $135,191 | $591,000 | $1,839 |
| San Jose, CA | 2.0 million | 30 minutes | $202,580 | $1,800,000 | $2,941 |
| Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg | 3.2 million | 24 minutes | $91,950 | $400,000 | $1,700 |
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 (2022 - National Association of Realtors®).
Median Rent is the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment (2022 Estimates - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).