Before you decide to relocate to Wisconsin, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Wisconsin that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 145 places in Wisconsin with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Wisconsin for 2026.
$140,682 median income · $752,619 median home · #1 home prices in Wisconsin
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$144,051 median income · $647,578 median home · #5 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
Mequon is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 23,132 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$157,109 median income · $642,953 median home · #6 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,806 median income · $741,321 median home · #2 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River, and a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was 7,085 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$158,016 median income · $672,840 median home · #3 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,726 median income · $544,885 median home · #16 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 13,162 at the 2010 census. Howell Raines of The New York Times said in 1979 that “his maple-studded town on Lake Michigan dotes on its reputation as Milwaukee’s most liberal suburb.”
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$108,350 median income · $557,877 median home · #12 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Pewaukee is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The population was 13,195 at the 2010 census. The Village of Pewaukee, which was incorporated out of the town before it incorporated as a city, is surrounded by the city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$125,220 median income · $584,110 median home · #10 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Dane County, Wisconsin
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$62,139 median income · $557,877 median home · #12 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Pewaukee is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The population was 13,195 at the 2010 census. The Village of Pewaukee, which was incorporated out of the town before it incorporated as a city, is surrounded by the city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$141,467 median income · $547,714 median home · #15 home prices in Wisconsin
Located in
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Fox Point is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,701 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Wisconsin’s statewide median.
Wisconsin statewide median: $330,171
Wisconsin statewide median: $77,485
On the map
Mapping the most expensive places in Wisconsin
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Badger State For 2026
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Wisconsin are how much money you make and how much you have to spend to live there.
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Wisconsin to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 145 places in Wisconsin that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Wisconsin according to the data is Summit. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in Wisconsin.
The full plate
Most Expensive Cities In Wisconsin
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Summit | 129 | 5,114 | $140,682 | $752,619 | 5.3x |
| 2 | Mequon | 128 | 25,270 | $144,051 | $647,578 | 4.5x |
| 3 | Whitefish Bay | 127 | 14,665 | $157,109 | $642,953 | 4.1x |
| 4 | Delafield | 126 | 7,202 | $94,806 | $741,321 | 7.8x |
| 5 | Elm Grove | 126 | 6,459 | $158,016 | $672,840 | 4.3x |
| 6 | Shorewood | 122 | 13,627 | $86,726 | $544,885 | 6.3x |
| 7 | Pewaukee | 121 | 16,211 | $108,350 | $557,877 | 5.1x |
| 8 | Waunakee | 121 | 15,687 | $125,220 | $584,110 | 4.7x |
| 9 | Pewaukee | 121 | 8,196 | $62,139 | $557,877 | 9.0x |
| 10 | Fox Point | 121 | 6,683 | $141,467 | $547,714 | 3.9x |
| 11 | Brookfield | 120 | 41,273 | $129,548 | $517,699 | 4.0x |
| 12 | Middleton | 120 | 22,301 | $89,524 | $613,360 | 6.9x |
| 13 | Fitchburg | 117 | 32,619 | $86,516 | $501,314 | 5.8x |
| 14 | Muskego | 116 | 25,406 | $112,221 | $515,980 | 4.6x |
| 15 | Cedarburg | 116 | 12,605 | $84,896 | $552,361 | 6.5x |
| 16 | Richfield | 116 | 11,755 | $143,963 | $560,142 | 3.9x |
| 17 | Verona | 115 | 15,232 | $119,606 | $590,564 | 4.9x |
| 18 | Hartland | 113 | 9,972 | $87,754 | $654,280 | 7.5x |
| 19 | Cottage Grove | 113 | 8,513 | $139,313 | $474,956 | 3.4x |
| 20 | Hudson | 112 | 14,959 | $93,937 | $496,565 | 5.3x |
| 21 | Sussex | 112 | 12,066 | $119,041 | $507,551 | 4.3x |
| 22 | Monona | 112 | 8,527 | $87,773 | $468,106 | 5.3x |
| 23 | New Berlin | 111 | 40,270 | $101,091 | $448,456 | 4.4x |
| 24 | Menomonee Falls | 111 | 39,539 | $100,238 | $431,120 | 4.3x |
| 25 | Sun Prairie | 111 | 37,570 | $90,942 | $436,614 | 4.8x |
| 26 | Oconomowoc | 111 | 19,080 | $106,425 | $537,005 | 5.0x |
| 27 | Suamico | 111 | 12,985 | $118,337 | $461,750 | 3.9x |
| 28 | Oregon | 111 | 11,547 | $102,978 | $489,920 | 4.8x |
| 29 | Bristol | 111 | 5,207 | $123,648 | $641,622 | 5.2x |
| 30 | Madison | 110 | 278,001 | $78,050 | $423,767 | 5.4x |
| 31 | Wauwatosa | 110 | 48,529 | $101,138 | $415,682 | 4.1x |
| 32 | Franklin | 110 | 35,886 | $106,894 | $436,182 | 4.1x |
| 33 | Pleasant Prairie | 110 | 21,669 | $103,902 | $451,234 | 4.3x |
| 34 | Hobart | 109 | 10,610 | $103,440 | $481,199 | 4.7x |
| 35 | McFarland | 109 | 9,160 | $97,500 | $485,872 | 5.0x |
| 36 | Grafton | 108 | 12,445 | $89,861 | $450,690 | 5.0x |
| 37 | Mount Horeb | 108 | 7,736 | $107,856 | $481,815 | 4.5x |
| 38 | DeForest | 107 | 11,501 | $106,419 | $445,514 | 4.2x |
| 39 | Hales Corners | 107 | 7,689 | $87,740 | $402,132 | 4.6x |
| 40 | Slinger | 107 | 6,307 | $101,404 | $463,134 | 4.6x |
| 41 | Oak Creek | 105 | 37,325 | $96,555 | $407,623 | 4.2x |
| 42 | Glendale | 105 | 13,656 | $78,092 | $351,578 | 4.5x |
| 43 | Waterford | 105 | 5,692 | $82,404 | $432,513 | 5.2x |
| 44 | Greendale | 104 | 14,594 | $94,769 | $383,283 | 4.0x |
| 45 | Port Washington | 104 | 12,645 | $81,948 | $381,021 | 4.6x |
| 46 | Mukwonago | 104 | 8,415 | $98,273 | $487,932 | 5.0x |
| 47 | Howard | 103 | 21,087 | $85,477 | $391,193 | 4.6x |
| 48 | River Falls | 103 | 16,719 | $83,627 | $406,768 | 4.9x |
| 49 | Stoughton | 103 | 13,033 | $79,551 | $428,271 | 5.4x |
| 50 | Lake Geneva | 103 | 8,521 | $75,629 | $411,280 | 5.4x |
| 51 | Mount Pleasant | 102 | 27,953 | $91,616 | $336,759 | 3.7x |
| 52 | Burlington | 102 | 10,987 | $83,419 | $351,654 | 4.2x |
| 53 | New Richmond | 102 | 10,539 | $88,157 | $374,056 | 4.2x |
| 54 | Lake Hallie | 102 | 7,285 | $86,740 | $361,887 | 4.2x |
| 55 | Lake Mills | 102 | 6,470 | $91,027 | $420,977 | 4.6x |
| 56 | Twin Lakes | 102 | 6,309 | $86,222 | $394,923 | 4.6x |
| 57 | Waukesha | 101 | 71,233 | $83,837 | $413,609 | 4.9x |
| 58 | Jackson | 101 | 8,003 | $93,170 | $416,165 | 4.5x |
| 59 | Greenfield | 100 | 37,345 | $70,459 | $323,451 | 4.6x |
| 60 | West Bend | 100 | 32,030 | $74,076 | $347,505 | 4.7x |
| 61 | Caledonia | 100 | 25,257 | $93,152 | $380,069 | 4.1x |
| 62 | Onalaska | 100 | 19,348 | $85,867 | $359,544 | 4.2x |
| 63 | Hartford | 100 | 15,821 | $82,014 | $374,925 | 4.6x |
| 64 | Brown Deer | 100 | 12,564 | $93,974 | $283,653 | 3.0x |
| 65 | Holmen | 100 | 11,372 | $79,899 | $413,026 | 5.2x |
| 66 | Evansville | 100 | 5,782 | $81,149 | $358,801 | 4.4x |
| 67 | West Salem | 100 | 5,330 | $97,019 | $370,540 | 3.8x |
| 68 | Elkhorn | 99 | 10,221 | $77,649 | $338,685 | 4.4x |
| 69 | Altoona | 99 | 8,878 | $84,552 | $327,629 | 3.9x |
| 70 | Kronenwetter | 99 | 8,395 | $115,044 | $330,175 | 2.9x |
| 71 | Columbus | 99 | 5,488 | $75,427 | $311,071 | 4.1x |
| 72 | Union Grove | 99 | 5,036 | $107,482 | $328,655 | 3.1x |
| 73 | De Pere | 98 | 25,301 | $84,869 | $401,113 | 4.7x |
| 74 | Ashwaubenon | 98 | 17,314 | $69,667 | $338,976 | 4.9x |
| 75 | Bellevue | 98 | 16,442 | $84,672 | $393,957 | 4.7x |
| 76 | Jefferson | 98 | 7,732 | $79,006 | $337,202 | 4.3x |
| 77 | Sturtevant | 98 | 6,772 | $92,647 | $281,361 | 3.0x |
| 78 | Kenosha | 97 | 99,372 | $71,239 | $273,053 | 3.8x |
| 79 | Weston | 97 | 15,749 | $78,207 | $300,001 | 3.8x |
| 80 | Chippewa Falls | 97 | 14,782 | $57,873 | $330,661 | 5.7x |
| 81 | Plover | 97 | 13,884 | $88,042 | $347,474 | 3.9x |
| 82 | Fort Atkinson | 97 | 12,463 | $79,302 | $297,960 | 3.8x |
| 83 | Edgerton | 97 | 6,014 | $72,489 | $294,921 | 4.1x |
| 84 | Dodgeville | 97 | 5,042 | $72,288 | $328,873 | 4.5x |
| 85 | Menomonie | 96 | 16,539 | $56,889 | $298,133 | 5.2x |
| 86 | Whitewater | 96 | 15,807 | $54,969 | $338,753 | 6.2x |
| 87 | Allouez | 96 | 13,975 | $91,250 | $319,587 | 3.5x |
| 88 | Little Chute | 96 | 11,754 | $87,538 | $298,046 | 3.4x |
| 89 | Milwaukee | 95 | 566,973 | $54,234 | $220,137 | 4.1x |
| 90 | Eau Claire | 95 | 70,322 | $67,395 | $311,027 | 4.6x |
| 91 | Janesville | 95 | 66,030 | $73,446 | $288,359 | 3.9x |
| 92 | Stevens Point | 95 | 25,785 | $58,031 | $280,949 | 4.8x |
| 93 | Kaukauna | 95 | 17,706 | $80,365 | $303,856 | 3.8x |
| 94 | St. Francis | 95 | 9,004 | $57,368 | $282,497 | 4.9x |
| 95 | Delavan | 95 | 8,689 | $65,357 | $329,932 | 5.0x |
| 96 | Appleton | 94 | 75,023 | $80,483 | $297,642 | 3.7x |
| 97 | La Crosse | 94 | 51,356 | $55,866 | $276,422 | 4.9x |
| 98 | Neenah | 94 | 27,336 | $75,374 | $305,615 | 4.1x |
| 99 | South Milwaukee | 94 | 20,442 | $73,427 | $300,412 | 4.1x |
| 100 | Beaver Dam | 94 | 16,565 | $66,673 | $288,264 | 4.3x |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 145 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Wisconsin For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in Wisconsin that have the highest cost of living, with Summit ranking as the most expensive city in the Badger State.
The most expensive cities in Wisconsin are Summit, Mequon, Whitefish Bay, Delafield, Elm Grove, Shorewood, Pewaukee, Waunakee, Pewaukee, and Fox Point.
