City profile
Milwaukee, WI cost of living
WI · BEA RPP 96.937
2024 overall RPP
96.937
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
97.111
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
93.787
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,263/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Milwaukee, WI sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#42 of 67
-3.1 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
-2.5
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#64 of 67
-426/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 33340). HUD: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA (code METRO33340M33340); counties or county equivalents: Milwaukee County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, Waukesha County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Milwaukee, WI
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Milwaukee, WI metro.
Moved in
20,379
people · 14,093 households
Moved out
23,639
people · 15,582 households
Net
−3,260
net loss of residents
Net migration rank
#45 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
-3,631
median +371 people
Largest flow share
10% in / 10% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Racine County, WI 2,026
- Cook County, IL 1,847
- Dane County, WI 1,609
- Dodge County, WI 802
- Jefferson County, WI 764
Where residents moved to
- Racine County, WI 2,479
- Dane County, WI 1,688
- Cook County, IL 1,554
- Maricopa County, AZ 1,121
- Dodge County, WI 948
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Milwaukee, WI?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Milwaukee, WI | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,469 | $50,000 x (96.937/100) |
| $75,000 | $72,703 | $75,000 x (96.937/100) |
| $100,000 | $96,937 | $100,000 x (96.937/100) |
| $125,000 | $121,171 | $125,000 x (96.937/100) |
| $150,000 | $145,406 | $150,000 x (96.937/100) |
| $200,000 | $193,874 | $200,000 x (96.937/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Milwaukee, WI?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Milwaukee, WI has an overall Regional Price Parity of 96.937 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 3.1% lower than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Milwaukee, WI?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $96,937 in Milwaukee, WI, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Milwaukee, WI?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Milwaukee, WI is $1,263 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Milwaukee, WI?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 20,379 people moved into the Milwaukee, WI metro and 23,639 moved out — a net loss of roughly 3,260 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Racine County, WI.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Milwaukee, WI, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Milwaukee, WI
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Milwaukee, WI's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log