

Dallas vs Milwaukee
$431/mo less in Milwaukee
DallasMilwaukeeAbout 853 miles apart, a flight.
- Milwaukee costs you more
- Property tax 1.53%
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,608/mo in Milwaukee. $3,039/mo in Dallas. −$5,172 a year.
Dallas
$3,039
left each month
Milwaukee
$2,608
−$431 vs Dallas
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 202 households moved Dallas → Milwaukee (avg AGI $44,084). 474 went the other way. The whole move →
−$431 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Dallas | Milwaukee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,958 | $7,646 | −$312 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,661 | $1,882 | +$221 |
| Take-home pay | $6,298 | $5,764 | −$533 |
| Rent | $1,258 | $1,261 | +$3 |
| Getting around | $580 | $503 | −$77 |
| Groceries | $392 | $384 | −$8 |
| Healthcare | $441 | $432 | −$9 |
| Utilities | $245 | $240 | −$5 |
| Everything else | $343 | $336 | −$7 |
| Left over | $3,039 | $2,608 | −$431 |
Salary to match Dallas
$99,500
Gross pay in Milwaukee that leaves the same amount as $95,500 in Dallas.
Tax difference
−$3,765
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.9% in Dallas, 24.6% in Milwaukee.
More about Milwaukee
Dallas, TX in full
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.
Milwaukee, WI in full
Lake Michigan summers, cheap housing, and a 1.5% property tax.
The other way
Start in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee → Dallas →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Milwaukee than Dallas?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Milwaukee leaves about $431 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,258 in Dallas and $1,261 in Milwaukee.
Does Milwaukee have state income tax?
Milwaukee is in Wisconsin, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Dallas to Milwaukee?
The paycheck is taxed in Wisconsin. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Dallas and Milwaukee changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.