Living in Milwaukee, WI

Explore Milwaukee and see how it fits the life you want to build.

566,973 Population Milwaukee, Washington & Waukesha Counties Counties City Place Type Wisconsin State OrdinancesLocal Rules
Overall Match6.7 / 10

Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.

Milwaukee at a Glance

Key facts and current data

Population566,973
Median Household Income$54,234
Median Home Value$184,000
Median Gross Rent$1,059
Median Age32.4
Average Household Size2.4
Unemployment6.2%
Work From Home12.9%
Homeownership41.8%
Housing Vacancy10.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.

Milwaukee is a major population center where neighborhood choice can substantially change the day-to-day relocation experience.

Experience the Area

Experience Life in Milwaukee Before You Move

Explore Short-Term Stays in Milwaukee →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate

NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Milwaukee and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.

NarrowTheList Ratings

Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.

Housing Value3.6 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Employment3.3 / 5Lower unemployment produces a stronger rating.
Housing Stability2.8 / 5Combines homeownership and housing vacancy.
Remote Work Friendly3.4 / 5Based on the share of residents working from home.
Income Strength3.7 / 5Household income compared on a national scale.

These are location-wide baseline ratings, not your personal match score. Your own priorities can change which factors matter most.

Housing & Cost of Living in Milwaukee

Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau

Median Home Value$184,000
Median Gross Rent$1,059
Homeownership41.8%
Housing Vacancy10.3%
Housing Value7.2/10
Housing Stability5.6/10

Home values are comparatively balanced against local household income, although individual neighborhoods can still vary substantially. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.

Jobs, Income & Remote Work

Employment and household-income context for Milwaukee, WI

Median Household Income$54,234
Unemployment6.2%
Work From Home12.9%
Employment6.6/10
Remote Work Friendly6.8/10
Income Strength7.4/10

The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.

Population & Household Profile

Who lives in Milwaukee and how households are structured

Population566,973
Median Age32.4
Average Household Size2.4

Milwaukee is a large population center with enough scale for conditions to differ substantially across neighborhoods.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.

Climate & Weather in Milwaukee

Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context

NOAA climate normals for Milwaukee point to warm summers, cold winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and substantial annual snowfall.

Average Summer High82.8°F
Average Winter Low14.1°F
Annual Rainfall33.8 in.
Annual Snowfall39.5 in.

Seasonal Life in Milwaukee

What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.

Spring

Spring is a useful time to evaluate how quickly outdoor conditions become comfortable and how seasonal rain affects everyday routines.

Summer

Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.

Fall

Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.

Winter

Freezing winter lows and meaningful snowfall make snow removal, winter driving, heating costs and cold-weather routines important parts of evaluating the area.

Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.

County Intelligence

Milwaukee & Its Counties

Medium Foreclosure Activity

Milwaukee spans Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Milwaukee especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.

Current NarrowTheList data for Milwaukee shows a population of about 566,973. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.

Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.

For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.

County relationship Milwaukee County, Washington County and Waukesha County
How NarrowTheList uses it

NarrowTheList connects Milwaukee with all 3 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.

Nearby Cities & Communities

Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.

Wauwatosa, WI 3.5 miles away West Milwaukee, WI 3.5 miles away Shorewood, WI 4.5 miles away Glendale, WI 4.8 miles away Whitefish Bay, WI 4.8 miles away West Allis, WI 5.0 miles away Butler, WI 6.2 miles away Elm Grove, WI 6.2 miles away Fox Point, WI 7.3 miles away Greenfield, WI 7.4 miles away Brookfield, WI 7.6 miles away Brown Deer, WI 7.7 miles away