2026 editionMidwestPop. 5,972,787Capital Madison30th state, admitted 1848Cook PVI Even
Is Wisconsin a Good Place to Live? Wisconsin Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Wisconsin ranks #11 of 50 with a composite score of 70.6 and a B+ grade, strongest in education (#4) and weakest in growth (#26). The median household earns $77,488 (4% below the national median), homes typically cost $339,699 (8% below the national average), and violent crime is 240 per 100,000 (27% below the national average).
Wisconsin suits people who will pay a little for a state that runs well; newcomers who assume a bargain get a surprise, a typical home up +5.1% in a year against +1.2% nationally. The tradeoff is property tax of 1.59% against 1.02% nationally, part of how the state keeps its pensions funded at 100%.
Wisconsin by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Wisconsin's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Wisconsin overview
Wisconsin scores above the national average in 9 of 11 categories and ranks #4 of 12 states in the Midwest, behind 3 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is violent crime rate (240, 27% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is median household income ($77,488, 4% below the national median). With 2 top-10 finishes and no bottom-10 category, its weaknesses are relative, not absolute.
Where does Wisconsin rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Wisconsin is top 10 in 2 and bottom 10 in 0.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 54.8 | #13 of 50 | B+ | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 3.2% and median household income is $77,488. |
| Safety | 81.6 | #8 of 50 | A | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 240.3 violent crimes and 1,016.7 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 60.5 | #18 of 50 | B+ | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 78.1 years, 37.4% of adults have obesity, and 5.3% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 76.5 | #4 of 50 | A+ | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 283 in NAEP math and 260 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 90.3%. |
| Affordability | 69.8 | #25 of 50 | B | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $339,699 (4.4x median income); cost of living index 94.1 (100 = US); center-based infant care $18,604 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 63.6 | #18 of 50 | B+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $2,860 of debt per resident, has 100% of pensions funded, and holds a AA credit rating. |
| Growth | 40.0 | #26 of 50 | B | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.26% last year; Census net domestic migration is +1.2 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 52.3 | #22 of 50 | B | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 22.7 minutes, 1.4% of workers use public transit, and 11.8% work from home. |
| Livability | 35.9 | #18 of 50 | B+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.713 restaurants and 0.026 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.459 bars and 0.065 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 23.9 | #25 of 50 | B | 6% | 29.4 | 5.8% of its land is public, with 3.55 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 40.6 | #26 of 50 | B | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 37, 13% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 25.4. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Wisconsin's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Wisconsin bulges toward education and dips at growth.
How expensive is Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's cost of living index is 94.1 against a national baseline of 100, 6% below the national average and #20 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $339,699 (8% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $95,433, $17,945 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Fond du Lac is cheapest (index 91.6) and Kenosha priciest (101.1).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #26 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #30 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $17,945 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Wisconsin housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Wisconsin | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$20,997 | −$11,758 | #32 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$30,650 | +$31,418 | #26 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$35,155 | +$35,970 | #26 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's tax mix is high income tax, high property tax, low sales tax. The total state and local tax burden comes to 8.31% of income, 0.4 points below the national average (#19 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.59% of home value (#43), and combined sales tax averages 5.72% (#9).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 63.6 out of 100, #18 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Wisconsin safe?
Wisconsin reports 240 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 27% below the national average and #18 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,017 per 100,000, 34% below the national average (#5 of 50). The safety score is 81.6 out of 100, #8 of 50; among tracked cities, New Berlin has the lowest violent crime rate.
Wisconsin vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Wisconsin
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukesha | 71,233 | 115 | 917 |
| Janesville | 66,030 | 122 | 1,569 |
| Eau Claire | 70,322 | 168 | 1,792 |
| West Allis | 59,612 | 183 | 1,713 |
| Appleton | 75,023 | 189 | 958 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Wisconsin cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's unemployment rate is 3.2%, 0.8 points below the national average and #8 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $77,488, 4% below the national median. Real GDP grew +1.6% in the latest year (#32 of 50) and GDP per capita is $59,815, 7% below the national average. The population is growing 0.26% a year, 0.3 points below the national average. The economy score is 54.8 out of 100, #13 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Wisconsin, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $235,570 | $219,080 | Madison |
| Lawyers | $159,830 | $148,642 | Milwaukee-Waukesha |
| Software Developers | $143,200 | $133,176 | Milwaukee-Waukesha |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $112,575 | $104,695 | Madison |
| General & Operations Managers | $108,261 | $100,683 | Madison |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Wisconsin's schools and healthcare?
Wisconsin's education score is 76.5 out of 100, #4 of 50. Eighth graders average 283 in NAEP math (#2 of 50) and 260 in reading (#13 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 90.3%, 4.7 points above the national average (#3 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield | 98% | 16 | $13,987 |
| Menomonee Falls | 97.1% | 15.7 | $13,024 |
| Greenfield | 95.3% | 13.6 | $13,250 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
Wisconsin is #18 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 78.1 years, 1.2 years above the national average. 37.4% of adults have obesity (#41 of 50) and 5.3% of residents have no health insurance (#10 of 50). The health score is 60.5 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Wisconsin, and who is leaving?
Wisconsin's flows are close to even: 56,675 households moved in and 56,159 moved out in the latest IRS release, a net of +516, or +0.1 per 1,000 residents (#25 of 50), too small to call a direction. Arriving households report an average income of $72,373 against $74,386 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +9.7K people (116.1K in, 106.4K out, ±11.3K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Illinois11,331 · $80,752
- 2Minnesota8,003 · $78,834
- 3Florida3,779 · $77,862
- 4California3,143 · $77,694
- 5Texas2,985 · $66,333
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Minnesota8,321 · $60,446
- 2Illinois8,111 · $67,312
- 3Florida5,044 · $123,995
- 4Texas3,710 · $74,632
- 5California2,645 · $82,582
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Wisconsin?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Wisconsin cities we track are Brookfield (71.8), Menomonee Falls (68.6), and Wauwatosa (68.3). Fond du Lac is the cheapest (cost index 91.6), Brookfield the richest ($129,548), and Menomonee Falls the fastest growing (+1.8% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Wisconsin cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Wisconsin
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | New Berlin | 47 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Fond du Lac | cost of living index 91.6 |
| Most walkable | West Allis | walkability 14.6 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Wausau | median AQI 36 (county) |
| Best schools | Brookfield | 98% graduation rate |
| Richest | Brookfield | $129,548 |
Among the 20 Wisconsin cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Wisconsin
The job center and the sharpest divide: the city carries most of Wisconsin's crime, the Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington suburbs its highest incomes, and Kenosha and Racine face Chicago.
Government, the university and hospital software keep it growing faster and pricing higher than anywhere else in the state; bike lanes, lakes, and a housing market that outruns local wages.
Paper mills, manufacturing and the Packers; modest homes, short commutes, and a job market that has never needed Milwaukee to get by.
River towns and dairy country where St Paul is the nearest big city; Eau Claire and La Crosse are the regional hubs, and the northwest corner commutes into Minnesota.
Wausau is the last real city before the lakes and forest begin; a seasonal economy, thin broadband, long winters, and the place the rest of the state goes on vacation.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookfield | A+ | 71.8 | 41,273 | $129,548 | 63 | 96.9 |
| 2 | Menomonee Falls | A+ | 68.6 | 39,539 | $100,238 | 90 | 96.9 |
| 3 | Wauwatosa | A+ | 68.3 | 48,529 | $101,138 | 178 | 96.9 |
| 4 | New Berlin | A | 66.1 | 40,270 | $101,091 | 47 | 96.9 |
| 5 | Madison | A | 65.7 | 278,001 | $78,050 | 214 | 97.3 |
| 6 | Waukesha | A | 64.5 | 71,233 | $83,837 | 115 | 96.9 |
| 7 | Appleton | A | 63.0 | 75,023 | $80,483 | 189 | 92.4 |
| 8 | Greenfield | B+ | 62.8 | 37,345 | $70,459 | 105 | 96.9 |
| 9 | West Allis | B+ | 62.0 | 59,612 | $67,611 | 183 | 96.9 |
| 10 | Wausau | B+ | 61.8 | 39,996 | $64,389 | 258 | 92.7 |
| 11 | Janesville | B+ | 61.6 | 66,030 | $73,446 | 122 | 93.7 |
| 12 | Eau Claire | B+ | 60.8 | 70,322 | $67,395 | 168 | 92.8 |
| 13 | Oshkosh | B+ | 60.4 | 66,729 | $62,188 | 257 | 92.9 |
| 14 | Sheboygan | B | 58.3 | 49,645 | $62,927 | 378 | 94 |
| 15 | La Crosse | B | 57.2 | 51,356 | $55,866 | 428 | 91.8 |
| 16 | Kenosha | B | 56.9 | 99,372 | $71,239 | 324 | 101.1 |
| 17 | Green Bay | B | 56.8 | 106,253 | $66,206 | 450 | 93.1 |
| 18 | Fond du Lac | B | 56.5 | 44,494 | $62,260 | 403 | 91.6 |
| 19 | Racine | C+ | 53.2 | 77,633 | $57,740 | 418 | 96 |
| 20 | Milwaukee | D | 45.0 | 566,973 | $54,234 | 1,145 | 96.9 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Wisconsin cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Wisconsin for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookfield | 72.6 | 67.5 | 97.0 | 58.0 |
| 2 | Wauwatosa | 71.0 | 66.7 | 78.8 | 67.8 |
| 3 | Menomonee Falls | 70.6 | 65.5 | 97.5 | 68.1 |
| 4 | Waukesha | 69.4 | 61.1 | 92.9 | 71.5 |
| 5 | New Berlin | 69.2 | 61.9 | 99.2 | 66.8 |
Who is Wisconsin best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Wisconsin cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Wisconsin compare with its neighbors?
Wisconsin ranks #11. Among its bordering states, Minnesota ranks highest (#12) and Michigan lowest (#45). Minnesota is the most similar on the composite score and Michigan the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | #11 | 70.6 | $77,488 | $339,699 | 94.1 | 240 | 8.31% | |
| Minnesota | #12 | 70.4 | $87,117 | $350,752 | 98.6 | 224 | 9.72% | Compare → |
| Iowa | #14 | 69.2 | $75,501 | $239,547 | 87.8 | 234 | 9.23% | Compare → |
| Illinois | #39 | 47.6 | $83,211 | $297,573 | 100 | 251 | 10.22% | Compare → |
| Michigan | #45 | 42.7 | $72,389 | $266,292 | 96.2 | 416 | 8.25% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Wisconsin city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Wisconsin numbers say when read together.
Education is Wisconsin's strongest suit
Wisconsin is a #11 state overall but #4 of 50 for education, 7 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 76.5 against a national average of 57.5. Safety (#8) is next. Education carries 12% of the composite.
Growth is where Wisconsin falls furthest behind
Wisconsin ranks #26 of 50 for growth, 15 places below its overall #11, with a score of 40 against a national average of 38.8. At 7% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Violent crime rate is 27% below the national average
Wisconsin's violent crime rate is 240, 27% below the national average of 328, #18 of 50 (1 = safest). The largest gap in the other direction is median household income: $77,488, 4% below the national median. Source: FBI estimates, latest release.
Migration is a wash
Net +516 households on 112,834 moves is too small a margin to call a direction; Wisconsin ranks #25 of 50 on net flow per 1,000 residents. The households arriving report $2,013 less in average income than those leaving ($72,373 against $74,386), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount grows. The largest source is Illinois; the largest destination is Minnesota.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $20,997 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#32 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $30,650 surplus; a retiree couple at a $35,155 surplus. Infant childcare runs $18,604 a year, 19% above the national average.
Wisconsin outranks every bordering state
None of Wisconsin's 4 bordering states ranks above its #11; the closest match on the composite is Minnesota. Median income among them runs from $72,389 in Michigan to $87,117 in Minnesota; Wisconsin is at $77,488.
Frequently asked questions about living in Wisconsin
Is Wisconsin a good place to live?
Wisconsin ranks #11 of 50 with a B+ grade, #4 of 12 in the Midwest. It is top 10 in education and safety. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 5 of 6 (home prices, cost of living, violent crime, unemployment, and tax burden) and trails on income. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Wisconsin rank among US states?
Wisconsin ranks #11 of 50 overall with a composite score of 70.6 (grade B+), and #4 of 12 states in the Midwest. Its best category rank is #4 (education) and its worst #26 (growth). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so B+ means rank 11–18.
Is it expensive to live in Wisconsin?
At #20 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Wisconsin is 6% below the national average: its index is 94.1 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $339,699 (8% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $95,433 against a median household income of $77,488. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $20,997 shortfall after all costs, #32 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Wisconsin have a state income tax?
Yes. Wisconsin's top state income tax rate is 7.65% (#40 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 8.31% of income, 0.4 points below the national average. Property tax is 1.59% of home value and combined sales tax 5.72%.
What is the crime rate in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin reports 240 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 27% below the national average and #18 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,017 property crimes per 100,000, 34% below the national average (#5). Its safety score is 81.6 out of 100, #8 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Wisconsin have good schools?
Wisconsin is #4 of 50 for education (score 76.5 out of 100). Its public school students average 283 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#2) and 260 in eighth-grade reading (#13), and the high school graduation rate is 90.3%, 4.7 points above the national average (#3). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Brookfield has the highest graduation rate at 98%.
Is Wisconsin gaining or losing people?
Neither, to any meaningful degree: Wisconsin netted +516 households in the latest IRS release on 56,675 arrivals and 56,159 departures, +0.1 per 1,000 residents (#25 of 50), a flow too small to call a direction. The largest source of arrivals is Illinois (11,331 households) and the most common destination is Minnesota (8,321). Arriving households report an average income of $72,373 against $74,386 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Wisconsin a red or blue state?
Wisconsin is an even split on the Cook Partisan Voting Index. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What is the weather like in Wisconsin year-round?
Cold, from Thanksgiving to Easter, with the lake making it worse along Milwaukee and Green Bay and the Northwoods running colder still. Summers are short, warm and humid, and the state treats them like a holiday. Kenosha gets Chicago's winters, Superior gets Duluth's. Budget for a snowblower, a second set of tires and five months of furnace, and know school rarely closes for snow.
Is Wisconsin tax-friendly for retirees?
Mostly yes for a retiree on Social Security and a modest pension, less so with a large taxable portfolio. Social Security is exempt from state income tax, and residents past the age thresholds can subtract a slice of other retirement income, under income limits. The catch is property tax at 1.59%, which does not care that you retired. Wisconsin ranks #13 for retirees.
Do I need a car in Wisconsin?
Yes, everywhere except central Madison. Only 1.4% of commuters use transit, Milwaukee runs buses and a short streetcar, and the average commute is 22.7 minutes, so driving is painless most of the year. The exception is winter: you will want good snow tires, and rural county roads get plowed after the state highways. One car per adult is the working assumption outside the two big cities.
Is Wisconsin a good place to raise a family?
Depends heavily on the district. The state ranks #4 for families and graduates 90.3% of students, and the Waukesha County suburbs, Madison's ring and the Fox Valley are as good as the Midwest gets for schools and safety. Infant childcare at $18,604 a year is the real surprise, 19% above the national average. Families in Milwaukee proper sort themselves by voucher, charter and neighborhood school, which takes homework.
Is Wisconsin cheaper than Minnesota?
On paper, yes: Wisconsin's cost index of 94.1 sits under Minnesota's, and the total tax burden is lower. Rent in Milwaukee runs $1,563, well under the Twin Cities. In practice Minnesota pays higher wages, so a professional often comes out ahead across the river. For a retiree or a remote worker paid at national rates, Wisconsin's side keeps more.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Wisconsin's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.