Cost of Living: Milwaukee, WI vs Knoxville, TN

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,207/mo in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,516/mo in Knoxville, TN. In the model, rent is about 15.05% of gross in Milwaukee, WI versus 16.27% in Knoxville, TN, so Milwaukee, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Milwaukee, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Knoxville, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Milwaukee, WI
15.05%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Knoxville, TN
16.27%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Milwaukee, WI and Knoxville, TN.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Milwaukee, WI
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Milwaukee, WI
  • Lower home prices: Milwaukee, WI
  • Higher median household income: Milwaukee, WI

Cost of Living Index

Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100) · Knoxville, TN: 92.2 (U.S. = 100)

Milwaukee, WI has a lower cost-of-living index than Knoxville, TN, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Knoxville, TN: $1,061/mo

Median rent in Knoxville, TN is $79/mo higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Home Price

Milwaukee, WI: $172,000 · Knoxville, TN: $214,000

Median home price in Knoxville, TN is $42,000 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Household Income

Milwaukee, WI: $51,888 · Knoxville, TN: $50,994

Milwaukee, WI has a higher median household income than Knoxville, TN by $894.

Milwaukee, WI overview · Knoxville, TN overview · Popular comparisons