Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in Wisconsin?
At Wisconsin's median household income of $77,488, the 30% rule leaves about $1,730 a month for rent after about $207 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $1,068 in the Milwaukee metro to $1,385 in the Madison metro. Each of the 2 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in Wisconsin
$1,730/mo
30% of gross income is $1,937 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $207, which leaves $1,730 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $1,068 to $1,385. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $4,969/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $3,460First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,152/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $4,969 goes at your max rent of $1,730. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent35%$1,730
- Electric, gas, water2%$120
- Internet2%$75
- Renters insurance<1%$12
- Left over61%$3,032
Housing comes to $1,937 a month, 30% of gross income and 39% of take-home. That leaves $3,032 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in Wisconsin
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Household income in Wisconsin
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Wisconsin at $77,488. That was up 0.9% from $76,823 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $902. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in Wisconsin
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Wisconsin, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $282 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $113 |
| Natural gas | $69 |
| Water | $19 |
| Sewer | $19 |
| Trash | $62 |
| Internet | $75 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Wisconsin's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Wisconsin's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.