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Cost & Benefits

Cost of living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Simple answer

Typical rent is $1,059 a month.

Milwaukee is a city in Wisconsin. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $54,234 a year.

Is Milwaukee affordable?See benefits in Milwaukee
People
566,973
Census average, 2020–2024
Typical rent
$1,059
Median gross rent, includes utilities
Typical pay
$54,234
Median household income, yearly
Typical home
$184,000
Median home value
2-bedroom fair rent
$1,263
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA

Milwaukee, Wisconsin has about 566,973 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $184,000.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Milwaukee County is $1,263 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Milwaukee. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, prices sit at 96.9 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Wisconsin taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 5.7% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Milwaukee's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Wisconsin home paid 19.06¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Milwaukee's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Wisconsin in the table we use.

Among 372 places we list in Wisconsin with a rent figure, 148 have higher typical rent than Milwaukee.

Nearby places

EBT nearby

USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.

Find SNAP stores near MilwaukeeWhat EBT can buy in Wisconsin

Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.

Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Wisconsin

Bigger places in Wisconsin

Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.