Milwaukee WI
Wisconsin · Pop. 566,973
Milwaukee, WI: median household income of $54,234, median rent of $1,059/mo, 6.2% unemployment. Our verdict: It Depends.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$54,234
per year
Median Rent
$1,059
per month
Median Home
$184k
home value
Unemployment
6.2%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
22.8%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
22 min
one way
City Reality Check honest
"Milwaukee, WI Reality Check"
In Milwaukee, the rent-to-income burden runs around 23% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $54,234 and median rent is $1,059/month. 48% of renters are cost-burdened (30%+ of income on housing). Landlords are winning; everyone else is treading water. Median home value: $184,000 — that's 3.4× the median income. Employment picture: 6.16% unemployment — a average employment landscape. Poverty rate: 22.8% — well above the national average. The headline economic numbers hide a bifurcated city. Average commute: 22 minutes — acceptable. Violent crime: 128/100k avg monthly rate (35870 reported); Property crime: 271.8/100k avg monthly rate (76174 reported). Milwaukee was founded in 1846 — that's 180 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 96.8 sq miles at 5,857 people/sq mile — moderately dense. Elevation: 617 ft — modest elevation. Known as: "Cream City | Brew City | Mil Town". Milwaukee has 9 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 64/100 — It Depends.
Local Context
Weather
/100Average high 56.9°F, low 41.5°F. 10 days per year above 90°F. 40.3 inches of annual precipitation.
Safety
/100Violent crime: 128/100k avg monthly rate (35870 reported); Property crime: 271.8/100k avg monthly rate (76174 reported).