Living in Milwaukee, WI
Big city in Wisconsin
Milwaukee is a big city in Wisconsin, home to about 570,000 people, with 1.6 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Milwaukee a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $232k and rents for $1,650 a month
- Strong healthcare: 10 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
- Great outdoors: plenty of parks
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Few dog parks: 11 within 9 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Higher taxes: about $1,734 state income tax per resident, 2.08% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Milwaukee ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Milwaukee: common questions
What is the cost of living in Milwaukee?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $232k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Milwaukee?
Wisconsin collects about $1,734 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.08% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Milwaukee safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (3.5× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Milwaukee?
Milwaukee has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 33°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 40″ of snow a year.
Does Milwaukee get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from cold waves and flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.75 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Milwaukee?
The nearest major airport is MKE, about 9 mi away.
How Milwaukee scores
Each bar compares Milwaukee with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Milwaukee right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.