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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 2 cities in Wisconsin. Madison: index 96 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , income $76,983, transport index 99.
#1 Ranked: Madison — cost index 96, rent $1,649/mo, income $76,983
Young-professional scoring: income $76,983, population 280,305 (job market depth), transport index 99
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 2 cities in Wisconsin. Madison: index 96 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , income $76,983, transport index 99.
Here's Madison by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 96. Rent: $1,649/month. Income: $76,983/year. Home price: $415,530. Population: 280,305. The strongest category is Housing at 96; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,952 per year vs. the national median. If you've ever felt priced out, the numbers here offer a different path.
It checks most boxes — but the healthcare costs are the asterisk. In Madison, the healthcare index sits at 99 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
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 (more on that below).
280,305 residents · Wisconsin
What does daily life actually cost in Madison? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 96) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $76,983 and homes at $415,530 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
561,385 residents · Wisconsin
What does daily life actually cost in Milwaukee? Start with the 32% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 82) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 96) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $51,888 and homes at $216,278 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
Madison ranks #1 in Wisconsin for this analysis with a cost index of 96 and median income of $76,983.
Madison scores highest for young professionals due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,649/mo, and competitive 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.