How much is rent in Milwaukee, WI?

The median 2-bedroom in Milwaukee rents for $1,313 a month with utilities, $250 less than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $1,047 and a 3-bedroom $1,479.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$1,3132-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$1,0471-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$52,520Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
20%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in Milwaukee by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,057/mo
Milwaukee
$1,057
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $42,280²
1 bedroom$1,047/mo
Milwaukee
$1,047
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $41,880²
2 bedrooms$1,313/mo
Milwaukee
$1,313
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $52,520²
3 bedrooms$1,479/mo
Milwaukee
$1,479
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $59,160²
4 bedrooms$1,520/mo
Milwaukee
$1,520
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: $60,800²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in Milwaukee

Where rent costs less than Milwaukee

20 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than Milwaukee
Paducah, KY	$886	$427/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$412/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$394/mo
Fayetteville, AR	$1,232	$81/mo
Memphis area, TN/AR	$1,278	$35/mo
Greenville, SC	$1,279	$34/mo

Rent in Milwaukee: questions people ask

How much is rent in Milwaukee?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $1,260 a month. By size: studio $1,057, 1 bedroom $1,047, 2 bedrooms $1,313, 3 bedrooms $1,479, 4 bedrooms $1,520 (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Milwaukee?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $52,520 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $41,880.

What share of income goes to rent in Milwaukee?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 20% of the median household income of $80,344 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than Milwaukee?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in Wisconsin

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

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