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 | 6.2 million | 27 minutes | $105,057 | $370,000 | $2,100 |
| Boston | 4.9 million | 31 minutes | $154,799 | $714,000 | $2,800 |
| Charlotte, NC | 2.8 million | 26 minutes | $100,103 | $398,600 | $1,200 |
| Chicago | 9.4 million | 35 minutes | $127,141 | $351,000 | $2,500 |
| Columbus, OH | 2.2 million | 22 minutes | $93,705 | $313,000 | $1,300 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | 7.9 million | 27 minutes | $108,772 | $382,000 | $2,100 |
| Denver | 3.0 million | 25 minutes | $116,821 | $661,000 | $2,200 |
| Indianapolis | 2.1 million | 23 minutes | $95,769 | $305,000 | $1,200 |
| Kansas City | 2.2 million | 22 minutes | $98,039 | $320,000 | $1,300 |
| MILWAUKEE/RACINE | 1.8 million | 22 minutes | $100,000 | $372,000 | $1,200 |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | 3.7 million | 23 minutes | $109,701 | $380,000 | $1,600 |
| Portland, OR | 2.5 million | 26 minutes | $135,191 | $585,000 | $2,000 |
| San Jose, CA | 1.9 million | 30 minutes | $202,580 | $1,800,000 | $3,100 |
| Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg | 3.3 million | 24 minutes | $91,950 | $405,000 | $1,900 |
NOTES:
POPULATION estimates for metropolitan area taken from U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division - July 2022
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). Depicts what a person living on $100,000 in Milwaukee would spend elsewhere.
HOME PRICES indicate median sales price of single-family homes (2023 - National Association of REALTORS®).
MEDIAN RENT is the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment (2023 Estimates - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).