Wisconsin

At a glance (2023)

• Cost of living: 93 (7% below the U.S. average)
• Median home value: $247,400 (national $303,400)
• Home prices, 5 years: +50.3% over the 5 years to 2023
• Monthly rent: $1,045 (national $1,348)
• Homeownership: 68% (national 65%)
• Unemployment: 2.8% (national 3.6%)
• Household income: $75,670 (national $78,538)
• Median age: 40.1 yrs (national 38.7)

The cost of living runs about 7% below the national average. The median home is valued at $247,400 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 50% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $1,045 a month. Unemployment averaged 2.8% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $75,670. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved.

Migration summary, 2022–2023

Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Wisconsin saw a net gain of 156 tax-filing households and a net gain of 2,360 individuals. Against a population of about 5,910,955, that is a net inflow of about 0.4 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area lost $108.7M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 11,331 households, came from Illinois; the largest outflow, about 8,321 households, went to Minnesota. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 800 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved.

• Net income (AGI): $108.7M nominal dollars
• Net households: +156 tax returns
• Net people: +2,360 exemptions (+0.4 net people per 1,000 residents; population 5,910,955)

Income (AGI) in and out

• Moved in: $4.1B
• Moved out: $4.2B
• Net: -$108.7M (nominal)

Top origin states

1. Illinois — 11,331 households, $915M
2. Minnesota — 8,003 households, $630.9M
3. Florida — 3,779 households, $294.2M
4. California — 3,143 households, $244.2M
5. Texas — 2,985 households, $198M
6. Michigan — 2,726 households, $157.7M
7. Arizona — 1,916 households, $131.9M
8. Colorado — 1,771 households, $135.1M
9. Iowa — 1,768 households, $111.1M
10. Indiana — 1,223 households, $79.7M

Top destination states

1. Minnesota — 8,321 households, $503M
2. Illinois — 8,111 households, $546M
3. Florida — 5,044 households, $625.4M
4. Texas — 3,710 households, $276.9M
5. California — 2,645 households, $218.4M
6. Arizona — 2,415 households, $183.4M
7. Michigan — 2,334 households, $148.8M
8. Colorado — 2,103 households, $160.8M
9. North Carolina — 1,541 households, $131.1M
10. Iowa — 1,458 households, $88.8M

Churn by state (both directions at once)

The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed.

• Illinois: 11,331 in, 8,111 out, net +3,220, +$369M
• Minnesota: 8,003 in, 8,321 out, net -318, +$127.9M
• Florida: 3,779 in, 5,044 out, net -1,265, -$331.2M
• Texas: 2,985 in, 3,710 out, net -725, -$78.9M
• California: 3,143 in, 2,645 out, net +498, +$25.8M
• Michigan: 2,726 in, 2,334 out, net +392, +$8.9M
• Arizona: 1,916 in, 2,415 out, net -499, -$51.5M
• Colorado: 1,771 in, 2,103 out, net -332, -$25.7M
• Iowa: 1,768 in, 1,458 out, net +310, +$22.3M
• North Carolina: 1,089 in, 1,541 out, net -452, -$54.6M
• New York: 1,168 in, 1,306 out, net -138, -$8.2M
• Indiana: 1,223 in, 1,065 out, net +158, +$3.3M

Net migration by year (2012–2023)

Net 2012–2023: -$3.9B (-34,862 people)

• 2012: -$410.8M, -5,909 people
• 2013: -$427.1M, -6,949 people
• 2014: -$521.7M, -10,449 people
• 2015: -$549.7M, -7,542 people
• 2016: -$478.3M, -7,215 people
• 2017: -$374.7M, +658 people
• 2018: -$342.6M, +555 people
• 2019: -$244.8M, -1,260 people
• 2020: -$117.1M, +634 people
• 2021: -$61.4M, -545 people
• 2022: -$310.9M, +800 people
• 2023: -$108.7M, +2,360 people

Migration in context

In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 2,360 more people moved into Wisconsin than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net loss of about $108.7M in income (nominal) — in a state of 5,930,350 people.

• Population: 5,930,350 (Census 2023 estimate)
• Net migration rate: +0.4 net people per 1,000 residents (a town of 10,000 would net about +4 people)
• Net income per resident: −$18 nominal dollars (≈ -$108.7M total across 5,930,350 residents)

The rate lets you compare Wisconsin with a state of any size: it's the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people.

Components of population change (2023, Census)

Where the state's overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component.

• Births: +60,074
• Deaths: 58,672
• Net domestic migration: +7,744
• Net international migration: +18,553
• Total change: +26,878

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers.

Income & cost of living

Prices around Wisconsin run about 7% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $107 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person.

• Income per person: $64,872 (what people here earn, BEA 2023, nominal) — 7% below the U.S. average
• Price level: 93.2 (100 = U.S. average prices, BEA price parity) — everyday costs about 6.8% lower than average
• What that income buys: $69,590 (local income restated at U.S.-average prices) — 1% below the U.S. average

Where the cost comes from — price parity by category

Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another.

• Housing & rents: 78.3
• Goods: 94.3
• Utilities: 89.5
• Other services: 98.0

Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above.

Who lives here — the people of Wisconsin

American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers).

• Median age: 40.1 years
• Median household income: $75,670 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) — 4% below the U.S. median
• College degree: 33% (adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher)
• Poverty rate: 10.6% (residents below the poverty line)
• Average commute: 22 min (mean travel time to work)
• Broadband at home: 89% (households with any broadband)

Race and ethnicity (share of residents):

• White: 79%
• Hispanic: 8%
• Black: 6%
• Asian: 3%
• Other: 4%

White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap.

Housing — what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median home value: $247,400 (owner-occupied homes) — 18% below the U.S. median
• Median rent: $1,045 (gross rent per month) — 22% below the U.S. median
• Homeownership: 68% of occupied homes are owner-occupied

Home-price appreciation (FHFA index, 2023):

• Past year: +10.6% price change, 2022 to 2023
• Past 5 years: +50% price change, 2018 to 2023

A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA's developmental index.

New home construction (building permits, 2023):

• 21,494 new housing units authorized in 2023
• Single-family: 53%
• Multifamily: 47%

Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.

Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars.

Local economy & risk

• Unemployment rate: 2.8% (BLS 2023 annual average)
• Labor force: 3,125,257 (3,036,966 employed)
• Disaster declarations — major federal, 2023

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved.

Unemployment now

2.9% (May 2026) ▼ 0.1 points vs May 2025

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above.

Who's moving by income — net migration by income bracket

Tax-filing households that moved into Wisconsin minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. Among the highest earners ($200k+), Wisconsin ranks #30 of 51 states for net household migration (-173).

• $1–$10k: +10 households (In 4,682, Out 4,672) — +$427K AGI
• $10k–$25k: +213 households (In 10,917, Out 10,704) — +$2.9M AGI
• $25k–$50k: +442 households (In 16,069, Out 15,627) — +$18.2M AGI
• $50k–$75k: +78 households (In 9,385, Out 9,307) — +$2.9M AGI
• $75k–$100k: -145 households (In 5,142, Out 5,287) — -$12.4M AGI
• $100k–$200k: -217 households (In 7,356, Out 7,573) — -$33.8M AGI
• $200k+: -173 households (In 3,234, Out 3,407) — -$88.9M AGI

Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won't exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved.

Goods trade — what Wisconsin ships and receives

Physical goods shipped between Wisconsin and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above.

• Ships to other states: $260.5B (+25% since 2017)
• Receives from states: $217.9B (+25% since 2017)
• Net balance: +$42.6B

Top goods shipped out:

• Mixed freight: $43.1B
• Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils: $40.1B
• Machinery: $38.4B
• Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment: $31.0B
• Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts): $22.9B
• Plastics and rubber: $18.9B

Top goods received:

• Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils: $28.4B
• Mixed freight: $26.8B
• Pharmaceutical products: $25.4B
• Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment: $22.5B
• Machinery: $22.4B
• Plastics and rubber: $19.3B

Biggest trading partners (both ways):

Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means Wisconsin ships more to that partner than it gets back).

• Illinois: Ships $42.7B, Receives $51.7B, Net -$9.0B, Total $94.4B
• Minnesota: Ships $20.7B, Receives $23.5B, Net -$2.8B, Total $44.2B
• California: Ships $13.5B, Receives $16.3B, Net -$2.7B, Total $29.8B
• Michigan: Ships $17.4B, Receives $12.3B, Net +$5.1B, Total $29.6B
• Indiana: Ships $11.2B, Receives $15.9B, Net -$4.7B, Total $27.0B
• Texas: Ships $15.7B, Receives $9.2B, Net +$6.5B, Total $24.9B
• Ohio: Ships $10.2B, Receives $10.6B, Net -$428M, Total $20.8B
• Iowa: Ships $10.4B, Receives $7.5B, Net +$2.9B, Total $17.9B

Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between Wisconsin and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments.