Cost of Living: Milwaukee, WI vs Waukesha, WI

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,207/mo in Milwaukee, WI versus $4,207/mo in Waukesha, WI. In the model, rent is about 15.05% of gross in Milwaukee, WI versus 17.25% in Waukesha, WI, so Milwaukee, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Milwaukee, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Waukesha, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Milwaukee, WI
15.05%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Waukesha, WI
17.25%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Milwaukee, WI and Waukesha, WI.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Milwaukee, WI
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Milwaukee, WI
  • Lower home prices: Milwaukee, WI
  • Higher median household income: Waukesha, WI

Cost of Living Index

Milwaukee, WI: 88.2 (U.S. = 100) · Waukesha, WI: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Milwaukee, WI has a lower cost-of-living index than Waukesha, WI, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Milwaukee, WI: $982/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Waukesha, WI: $1,124/mo

Median rent in Waukesha, WI is $142/mo higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Home Price

Milwaukee, WI: $172,000 · Waukesha, WI: $286,600

Median home price in Waukesha, WI is $114,600 higher than in Milwaukee, WI.

Median Household Income

Milwaukee, WI: $51,888 · Waukesha, WI: $81,651

Waukesha, WI has a higher median household income than Milwaukee, WI by $29,763.

Milwaukee, WI overview · Waukesha, WI overview · Popular comparisons