Cost of living in Milwaukee: rent, homes and salary
The Milwaukee, WI metro area had a BEA regional price parity (RPP) of 96.9 in 2024, with the US at 100 and housing alone at 97.1. That puts the cost of living in Milwaukee 3.1% below the US average.
- Level of prices
- 96.9US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 97.1. Rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Milwaukee
A regional price parity measures the cost of the same goods and services basket in one place against the US average, set at 100. BEA measures prices across the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, which includes Milwaukee, as a single area. Utilities show the widest gap from the US average, at 91.6, or 8.4% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Milwaukee, WI metro | Wisconsin | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 96.9 | 94.1 | −3.1% |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.3 | −6.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 97.1 | 79.3 | −2.9% |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 89.9 | −8.4% |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.5 | −0.6% |
Regional price parities, split out by metro area and state, 2024: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
Milwaukee rent prices
Milwaukee's typical asking rent is $1,443 a month, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). This covers rent for homes listed now and is +4.8% on a year. In the US, it is $1,932. Census puts median gross rent at $1,081. That figure covers every renting household, not only new leases. One year of the asking rent equals 30% of the median household income.
| Rent | Milwaukee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,443 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +4.8% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,081 | $1,487 |
| Share of median income, one year of asking rent | 30% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, with one-year estimates.
Milwaukee home prices
The Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put the value of a typical home in Milwaukee at $223,304 in September 2026, and it tracks a home at the market's middle. That figure is up +3.0% from a year earlier, compared with $366,157 in the US. That takes 3.9 years of median household income, against 4.5 in the US.
| Home prices | Milwaukee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $223,304 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +3.0% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +133.1% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 3.9 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 12.9 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and a price chart going back to 2000: Milwaukee housing market.
Salary to live in Milwaukee
What salary in Milwaukee buys what your pay buys now depends on two questions: where you live and how much you earn.
- Moving from
- Salary
See the method beside every city: compare living costs by city.
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Milwaukee cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Home value, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 96.9 | 97.1 | $1,443 | $223,304 |
| Madison | 97.3 | 99.7 | $1,837 | $424,543 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities 2024, where US = 100. Rent figures: Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: city cost of living comparison. Every state: state cost of living list.