Cost of Living in Wisconsin
What it costs to live in Wisconsin, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 5,960,975
- Median household income
- $77,488
- State income tax
- Up to 7.6%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 94.1
What a typical paycheck keeps in Wisconsin
The typical Wisconsin worker earns $50,270 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $11,725 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $50,270
- Federal income tax
- −$3,852
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,846
- State income tax
- −$1,590
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,240
- Everyday costs
- −$17,017
a year, or $977 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Wisconsin.
Cost of living in Wisconsin
Prices across Wisconsin run 6% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing21% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities10% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items6% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,020 | $12,240 |
| Food | $466 | $5,592 |
| Transportation | $368 | $4,416 |
| Healthcare | $350 | $4,200 |
| Utilities | $234 | $2,808 |
| Total before taxes | $2,438 | $29,256 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Wisconsin taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3.5% |
| $15,110 | 4.4% |
| $51,950 | 5.3% |
| $332,720 | 7.6% |
Taxes on the median household income
$77,488 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$8,217 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,928 |
| State income tax | −$3,091 |
| Effective tax rate | 22.2% |
Cities in Wisconsin
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Wisconsin city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Wisconsin
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $193,690 | $105,340 |
| Pharmacist | $148,740 | $76,429 |
| Physician assistant | $133,950 | $67,121 |
| Nurse practitioner | $131,980 | $65,892 |
| Lawyer | $126,760 | $62,634 |
| Software engineer | $122,660 | $60,075 |
| Veterinarian | $108,780 | $51,150 |
| Data scientist | $106,680 | $49,798 |
| Lineman | $105,820 | $49,245 |
| Physical therapist | $101,840 | $46,680 |
| Project manager | $97,580 | $43,936 |
| Dental hygienist | $96,540 | $43,267 |
| Mechanical engineer | $95,870 | $42,836 |
| Financial analyst | $95,570 | $42,642 |
| Registered nurse | $95,530 | $42,616 |
Salary pages in Wisconsin, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Wisconsin
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $391,740 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $367,160 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $290,640 |
| Dentists, General | $193,690 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $160,140 |
| Pharmacists | $148,740 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $142,060 |
| Financial Managers | $139,720 |
| Sales Managers | $134,870 |
| Physician Assistants | $133,950 |
| Marketing Managers | $133,600 |
| Human Resources Managers | $133,490 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $131,980 |
| Computer Network Architects | $131,720 |
| Commercial Pilots | $129,860 |
Living in Wisconsin
Wisconsin against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Wisconsin | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $294,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,142 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.3% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 34.6% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 22.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 11.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Wisconsin with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Wisconsin?
Prices in Wisconsin are 6% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,020 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,418 a month.
Does Wisconsin have a state income tax?
Yes. Wisconsin's income tax rate is up to 7.6%. On a typical wage of $50,270, a single filer pays about $1,590 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Wisconsin?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $34,800 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Wisconsin earns $50,270 and keeps $11,725 after those costs.
Where in Wisconsin does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Wisconsin cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Madison ($12,182 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Milwaukee ($11,780).
What jobs pay the most in Wisconsin?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Wisconsin goes to Physicians, All Other ($391,740); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($367,160); Family Medicine Physicians ($290,640) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate