Milwaukee County · Wisconsin
Milwaukee cost of living (WI)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Milwaukee costs 3.1% below the national average — all-items price level 96.9, rank 62 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $96,937 here. Utilities is the reason, at 91.6.
- All items
- 96.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 97.12.9% below the national average
- Goods
- 93.86.2% below the national average
- Other services
- 99.4in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 93.8 | -6.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 97.1 | -2.9% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 91.6 | -8.4% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.4 | -0.6% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Milwaukee, WI
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (96.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $52,669
- Needed to match US average
- $49,492
- Monthly difference
- $-130
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$51,056 median household income in Milwaukee is worth $52,669 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 96.9.
More Milwaukee data
Other Milwaukee datasets on this site.
- Milwaukee population and income
- Milwaukee sales tax rate
- Milwaukee property tax
- Milwaukee home values and rent
- Milwaukee crime rates
- Milwaukee public schools
- Milwaukee weather normals
- Milwaukee commute times
- Milwaukee jobs and wages
Statewide: Wisconsin cities · Wisconsin ZIP codes · Wisconsin sales tax · Wisconsin counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.