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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers for Madison are straightforward: 96 on the cost index, $1,649/month rent, $76,983 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's more or less in line with the region.
#1 Ranked: Madison — cost index 96, rent $1,649/mo, income $76,983
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers for Madison are straightforward: 96 on the cost index, $1,649/month rent, $76,983 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's more or less in line with the region.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Wisconsin's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Madison at index 96, where median rent of $1,649/month saves renters $2,952/year versus the national median.
With that foundation in place: Wisconsin — dairy state stability with surprisingly low costs. And with some exceptions, the 2 cities we track here average a cost index of 89 and median income of $64,436. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,524/month, which is $371 less than the national median.
Bottom line: Madison leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
280,305 residents · Wisconsin
Real talk: the #1 spot goes to Madison, and the breakdown explains why. And on balance, renters here pay $1,649/month — saving renters $2,952 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 96, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
561,385 residents · Wisconsin
The #2 spot goes to Milwaukee, and the breakdown explains why. And broadly, renters here pay $1,398/month — saving renters $5,964 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 82, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. Nothing too surprising there. The 32% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
Cities with the highest rents in Wisconsin are ranked from most expensive to least. High rent doesn't always mean unaffordable — we pair rent data with income to show the full picture. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Madison ranks #1 in Wisconsin for this analysis with a cost index of 96 and median income of $76,983.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Madison (ranked #1) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,649/mo, while Milwaukee (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,398/mo — a 14-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Madison is $1,649/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $246 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Madison is $415,530, which is 5.4× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Wisconsin has a 7.65% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.44%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.51%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.