Midwest ranking
15 Wisconsin cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 84
Index 98
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fond du Lac | 84 | $868/mo | $58,675 | 45K | Compare → |
| 2 | La Crosse | 85 | $941/mo | $51,836 | 52K | Compare → |
| 3 | Appleton | 86 | $913/mo | $75,469 | 75K | Compare → |
| 4 | Eau Claire | 86 | $929/mo | $63,882 | 69K | Compare → |
| 5 | Oshkosh | 87 | $860/mo | $59,186 | 66K | Compare → |
| 6 | Green Bay | 87 | $864/mo | $59,174 | 107K | Compare → |
| 7 | Sheboygan | 89 | $853/mo | $59,861 | 50K | Compare → |
| 8 | Janesville | 89 | $993/mo | $68,610 | 66K | Compare → |
| 9 | Racine | 94 | $967/mo | $52,766 | 77K | Compare → |
| 10 | West Allis | 96 | $954/mo | $64,888 | 60K | Compare → |
| 11 | Milwaukee | 96 | $982/mo | $49,733 | 573K | Compare → |
| 12 | Waukesha | 96 | $1,115/mo | $77,558 | 71K | Compare → |
| 13 | Wauwatosa | 97 | $1,312/mo | $93,812 | 48K | Compare → |
| 14 | Kenosha | 98 | $1,079/mo | $64,963 | 99K | Compare → |
| 15 | Madison | 98 | $1,291/mo | $74,895 | 269K | Compare → |
So you're thinking about Wisconsin. The strongest arguments for it are around wisconsin is on the affordable side of the country and a wide range of city sizes and styles, plus 2 more. Detail on each below.
Wisconsin averages a cost-of-living index of roughly 91 across its cities, about 9% under the national average. Different cities vary — see the full ranking above — but the overall state picture is on the affordable side. Average median rent across Wisconsin cities runs about $995/mo.
Wisconsin has 15 cities in our ranking, covering a real spread of size, density, and cost. People talk about a state like it's monolithic; in practice, the place you actually live varies a lot, and Wisconsin gives you a real menu to pick from.
Wisconsin's Great Lakes coastline is a real geographic asset that's easy to forget about until you've lived near it. Summer life in lakeside towns rivals what you'd get on the ocean, the water is fresh (no salt corrosion, no jellyfish), and winter brings lake-effect snow that locals either love or accept as the price of admission.
Cold-winter climates aren't for everyone, but for people who like the seasons to be different from each other, Wisconsin delivers. Snow accumulates, lakes freeze, fires get used for warmth and not just decoration — and spring genuinely feels like a relief when it arrives.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for Wisconsin (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across Wisconsin, Fond du Lac is the most affordable city we track (cost index 84, with median rent around $868/mo), while Madison sits at the top of the range with an index of 98—roughly 16% pricier than Fond du Lac. Use the table above to compare any Wisconsin city directly against Fond du Lac.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.