Relocation: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI to Houston-Pasadena, TX
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Milwaukee-Waukesha (Monthly) | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,060 | $1,261 | +$201 | +19.0% |
| Food & Groceries | $364 | $321 | -$43 | -11.8% |
| Transportation | $951 | $1,015 | +$64 | +6.7% |
| Healthcare | $457 | $422 | -$35 | -7.7% |
| Other Necessities | $405 | $480 | +$75 | +18.5% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,104 | $1,735 | -$369 | -17.5% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Milwaukee-Waukesha Median | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $125,490 | $119,600 | -$5,890 (-4.7%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $97,360 | $99,830 | +$2,470 (+2.5%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $100,350 | $99,510 | -$840 (-0.8%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $80,290 | $85,090 | +$4,800 (+6.0%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $123,730 | $129,440 | +$5,710 (+4.6%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $77,800 | $59,180 | -$18,620 (-23.9%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $156,100 | $166,910 | +$10,810 (+6.9%) | View Dossier |
| Industrial Machinery MechanicIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $72,680 | $63,180 | -$9,500 (-13.1%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $49,180 | $46,630 | -$2,550 (-5.2%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $144,560 | $135,880 | -$8,680 (-6.0%) | View Dossier |
| WelderSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $59,390 | $57,940 | -$1,450 (-2.4%) | View Dossier |
| Construction ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $119,170 | $103,530 | -$15,640 (-13.1%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Relocation FAQs
About $106,900. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (100.5 in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI to Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on. Official 2026 economic data for Relocation: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI to Houston-Pasadena, TX compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.
Quick answers
About $106,900. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (100.5 in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 107.4 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 6.9% higher in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX than in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.