Lakeland, FL vs Madison, WI
Simple answer
You'd likely save $43 a month in Madison.
This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.
The largest cost gap in this pair is housing prices. The BEA housing price parity differs by 3.8 points (Lakeland 95.9, Madison 99.7).
Florida has no tax on wages. Wisconsin taxes wages at rates up to 7.65%. Combined sales tax differs by 1.3 percentage points, higher in Florida. The effective property tax gap is 0.49 percentage points, higher in Wisconsin.
After a move from Florida to Wisconsin, these benefit results change for a family of four at $40,000 and a single adult at $18,000: Medicaid and CHIP.
A $75,000 salary in Lakeland lines up with about $75,113 in Madison on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.
Lakeland
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,608
- HUD area
- Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA
- Census median gross rent
- $1,484
- All-items price parity
- 97.1
- Goods price parity
- 96.2
- Utilities price parity
- 86.9
- Mean commute
- 31.4 min
- Median household income
- $66,779
Madison
Madison, WI
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,565
- HUD area
- Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $1,437
- All-items price parity
- 97.3
- Goods price parity
- 93.8
- Utilities price parity
- 89.8
- Mean commute
- 21.9 min
- Median household income
- $89,714
Equivalent salary
The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.
$75,113
Salary in Madison that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.
$79,131
Gross salary in Madison whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.
$72,994
Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.
Taxes on the two sides of the move
| Tax | Florida | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax on wages | No wage tax | up to 7.65% |
| Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 2026 | 7.0% | 5.7% |
| Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median | 0.75% | 1.25% |
On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $3,016 a year in Florida and $4,995 in Wisconsin. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.
Benefits if you land in Wisconsin
Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in Florida and once in Wisconsin. This is an illustration, not your application.
Food stamps (SNAP)
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
Medicaid and CHIP
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
WIC
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
School meals
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
LIHEAP
LakelandMaybe
MadisonMaybe
Earned Income Tax Credit
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
Child Tax Credit
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
Marketplace premium tax credits
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
Lifeline phone and internet
LakelandLikely eligible
MadisonLikely eligible
SSI
LakelandUnlikely
MadisonUnlikely
| Program | Lakeland | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Food stamps (SNAP) | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Medicaid and CHIP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| WIC | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| School meals | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| LIHEAP | Maybe | Maybe |
| Earned Income Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Child Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Marketplace premium tax credits | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Lifeline phone and internet | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| SSI | Unlikely | Unlikely |
At $40,000 the status labels match. A single adult around $18,000 is where Medicaid expansion and the marketplace coverage gap usually split.
Related comparisons
From Lakeland
The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Lakeland.
- Lakeland and San Francisco · rent gap $2,089
- Lakeland and San Jose · rent gap $1,664
- Lakeland and Boston · rent gap $1,400
- Lakeland and New York · rent gap $1,363
- Lakeland and Los Angeles · rent gap $1,356
- Lakeland and San Diego · rent gap $1,215
- Lakeland and Miami · rent gap $956
- Lakeland and Seattle · rent gap $941
Nearby metros
How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.