Madison vs Austin: where does a journalist save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $2,010/mo after taxes and living costs.
Madison US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $67,523 | $73,633 |
| Take-home / mo | $4,259 | $4,920 |
| Income tax | ~24% | ~20% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,860 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $1,399 | $2,010 |
| Savings rate | 33% | 41% |
| Verdict | Comfortable | Excellent |
Single professional, after-tax. "Savings" = take-home − a baseline cost of living. A planning estimate, not financial advice.
How we calculated this
• Salary: BLS/OECD median for a journalist, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~24%, US ~20%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.