$100k salary, packing up from Washington
changea dispatch from
milwaukee
WI
43.04°N
87.91°W
Milwaukee is beer (the Pabst and Miller legacy still hangs in the air), bratwurst (with the proper amount of mustard, please), and a Lake Michigan shoreline that goes on forever. Frozen custard is a regional specialty and a serious one. The Calatrava-designed art museum has wings that literally open and close on Lake Michigan. Friendly here means you'll have a new friend by the second beer.
the verdict
below Washington's monthly cost
Move to Milwaukee and the monthly math gets easier. Washington's rent is the headline; Milwaukee's is a footnote.
a quick ledger.
$1,504/mo
36% cheaper than Washington(vs $2,352/mo)
6.27%
$186/mo less in state tax than Washington
vs 8.5% in Washington
$6,307/mo
$1,034 more than Washington
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$394k
37% cheaper than Washington
vs $626k in Washington
1.6M
vs 6.3M in Washington
field notes, weather & such.
149
pleasant days a year, in milwaukee.
Washington gets 177 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter asks for something in return: 62 days under 20° here, 11 in Washington.
But the calendar thins out: Washington stays 2.3× busier.
61/100
30% lower than Washington
vs 87/100 in Washington
Closest outdoor draw: Chain O'Lakes State Park, 44.1 mi.
98/100
0% lower than Washington
vs 98/100 in Washington
30
81% fewer than Washington
vs 160 nonstops in Washington
if milwaukee appeals, also worth a look:
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