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Lexington vs Madison

Metro-area medians — Lexington-Fayette, KY Metro Area vs Madison, WI Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Madison comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Lexington is about 5% cheaper to live in, while Madison households earn about 26% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Madison.

Their widest everyday difference: Madison has the tighter job market — 2.2% unemployment versus 4.6%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Lexington, KY
$58,444
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$62,918
real value after local prices
Madison, WI
$58,454
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$60,084
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Lexington leaves you about $2,835/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Lexington
Madison
Livability (CityLedger)
53/100
82/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
92.9
97.3
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$76,913
$92,216
Median household income
$71,444
$89,714
Median rent
$1,245/mo
$1,437/mo
Median home value
$306,900
$415,500
Unemployment
4.6%
2.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher
44.1%
52.2%
Average commute
22.2 min
21.9 min
Air quality (median AQI)
43
42
Avg temperature
56°F
47°F

Choose Lexington for

  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
Full Lexington profile →

Choose Madison for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
Full Madison profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Lexington and Madison on cost, income, size, and education.

Lexington vs Tallahassee→Lexington vs Huntsville→Lexington vs Des Moines→Madison vs Durham→Madison vs Albany→Madison vs Huntsville→

Lexington vs Madison — frequently asked

Is Lexington cheaper than Madison?
Lexington is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 5% below Madison's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Lexington or Madison?
Madison has the higher median household income — $89,714 versus $71,444 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 26% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Lexington or Madison?
A paycheck stretches further in Madison. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $92,216 there versus $76,913 in Lexington.
Which has cheaper rent, Lexington or Madison?
Lexington has cheaper rent — a median of $1,245/mo versus $1,437/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).