Los Angeles, CA vs Madison, WI
Moving from Los Angeles to Madison? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($968,608 → $452,769 median home) and taxes.
Los Angeles vs Madison at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Los Angeles, CA, you'd need about $75,978 in Madison, WI (−$24,022).
Livability — Los Angeles, CA: 42 · Madison, WI: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 774 sqft in Los Angeles vs 1,878 sqft in Madison ($646 vs $266 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Los Angeles, CA | Madison, WI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $34,908 | $20,196 | −$14,712 |
| Groceries | $5,354 | $4,691 | −$663 |
| Transportation | $5,125 | $3,085 | −$2,040 |
| Utilities | $7,320 | $4,464 | −$2,856 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $8,826 | $6,804 | −$2,022 |
| Total | $61,713 | $39,420 | −$22,292 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Los Angeles, CA: 8.8% · Madison, WI: 6.8% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Los Angeles, CA | Madison, WI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 114.7 | 95.9 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.59% | 2.42% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -1.1% | 6.1% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 80 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $6.53 | $5.46 |
| Median home price | $968,608 | $452,769 |
| Home price ÷ income | 10.9× | 5.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.3% | 2.7% |
| Price per square foot | $646 | $266 |
| Median rent | $2,909 | $1,683 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 13.5% | 10.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.82% | 5.43% |
| Capital gains tax | 13.30% | 7.65% |
| Property tax rate | 0.69% | 1.75% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.9 yrs | 80.5 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $7,200 | $6,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 8.9% | 4.8% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 81 | 115 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $19,000 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 0.65% | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 21 | 6 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 1 | 0 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 72% | 92% |
| Avg commute (min) | 30 | 22 |
| Commute by driving alone | 67.1% | 67.4% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,500 | $1,300 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $2,400 | $1,400 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 100.0 — Very High | 87.8 — Relatively Moderate |
| Flood insurance / yr | $750 | $600 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $950 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 35.3 | 19.2 |
| Gas $/gal | 4.85 | 3.20 |
| Natural gas / mo | $72 | $72 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $138 | $42 |
| Home internet / mo | $83 | $85 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 500 | 320 |
| Avg summer high °F | 84 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 45 | 8 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 14.3 | 34.6 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 0.0 | 48.7 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 73% | 54% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 5 | 3 |
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