Milwaukee County · Wisconsin · Midwest · 567k residents
Milwaukee, WI: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Milwaukee: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Wisconsin median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Milwaukee is $210,000, 18% below the Wisconsin median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,400/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 91 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $52,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A lakefront city where beer, motorcycles, music, and neighborhood festivals keep summer moving.
Known for: Brewing, motorcycles, lakefront parks, Polish and German heritage, and music.
Calendar note: Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair are defining regional events.
Story source: Visit Milwaukee
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Milwaukee about 2 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 190 sunny days and 52 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 62 and an average commute of 23 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Milwaukee side by side
Cost of living index
91
Median home value
$210,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,400/mo
Median household income
$52,000
Housing momentum
How fast Milwaukee's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
75/100
Heating
Ranks Milwaukee's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Milwaukee's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $210,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $160 |
| Property tax rate | 2.2% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,150/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,400/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.17% |
| Sales tax | 5.9% |
| Cost of living index | 91 |
| Groceries index | 97 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $72/mo |
| Gas price | $3.05/gal |
| Healthcare index | 101 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $52,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% |
| Population | 567k |
| Crime index | 56/100 |
| School rating | 5.0/10 |
| Walkability | 62/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 23 min |
| Sunny days / year | 190 days |
| July high | 85°F |
| January low | 15°F |
| Annual snowfall | 52 in |
| Home price YoY | +3.5% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +4.1% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Ocean coast | 733 mi |
| Big lake | < 3 mi |
| Mountains | 406 mi |
| Major airport | 6 mi |
| Ski resort | 141 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Wauwatosa, WI · 49k
- West Allis, WI · 60k
- Cudahy, WI · 18k
- Greenfield, WI · 37k
- South Milwaukee, WI · 20k
Similar size
- Madison, WI · 278k
- Green Bay, WI · 106k
- Kenosha, WI · 99k
- Racine, WI · 78k
- Appleton, WI · 75k
Real listings in Milwaukee
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Milwaukee, WI?
- Milwaukee indexes at 91 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,400/mo and a median home value of $210,000.
- How much does a house cost in Milwaukee?
- The median home value in Milwaukee is $210,000, 18% below the Wisconsin median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Milwaukee?
- A two-bedroom in Milwaukee rents for about $1,400/mo.