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Updated

Average Rent in Milwaukee, WI

5 apartment buildings, 20 units. Real asking prices, refreshed daily.

Avg Rent

$1,713/mo

Cheapest

$909/mo

Properties

5

Units

20

Analysis

Rent Price Breakdown

Compare pricing across all 5 properties in Milwaukee, WI.

Average Rent by Property

Starting Price vs Average

Rent by Bedroom Count

Price per Square Foot

Milwaukee, WI Rent Prices

All 5 properties ranked by lowest available rent.

Explore Each Property

Milwaukee, WI Average Rent Prices 2026

The average rent in Milwaukee, WI is $1,713 per month, based on 20 units across 5 apartment communities. Prices range from $909 at Wiechmann Enterprises Unlimited to $2,295 at 333 Water.

Average Rent by Bedroom Type

Type Avg Rent Starting From Units
Studio $929/mo $909/mo 2
1 Bed $1,677/mo $1,059/mo 2
2 Bed $1,456/mo $1,379/mo 7
3 Bed $2,004/mo $1,980/mo 6
4 Bed $2,277/mo $2,030/mo 3

Every price comes directly from each property's leasing system, updated that morning. Request a neighborhood we don't cover and we add it within 24 hours.

Market Context

Who rents in Milwaukee, WI, and what they pay

Tracked one-bedroom rent in Milwaukee, WI averages $1,677/mo, with two-bedroom units averaging $1,456/mo. At the local median household income of $51,888, that works out to 40% of gross income, above the 30 percent affordability ceiling, a stretched-budget market.

The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2023 release pegged median gross rent in Milwaukee, WI at $1,033/mo. The current tracked market average runs 66% higher than that benchmark, reflecting both two to three years of rent growth and the fact that the Census figure covers all renter-occupied housing in Milwaukee, WI while the tracked market average covers units currently listed in larger apartment communities.

Who employs renters in Milwaukee

Demand in the Milwaukee rental market is shaped by the metro's largest private and public employers. The following organizations anchor local hiring and influence what renters can pay:

  • Aurora Health Care
  • Northwestern Mutual
  • Rockwell Automation
  • Harley-Davidson
  • Kohl's

Mean one-way commute in Milwaukee, WI is 22 minutes, per the Census ACS, useful context when weighing which properties sit inside reasonable reach of these employers.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Milwaukee, WI?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$69,000/year

30 percent rule -- using our average rent of $1,713/mo.

Comfortable income

$82,000/year

25 percent rule -- leaves more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($909/mo), you need to earn at least $36,000/year.

Median household income in Milwaukee, WI is $51,888 , about 37% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Cost of living in Milwaukee, WI

Overall prices in Milwaukee, WI runs below the national average by about 4% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 95.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Milwaukee, WI's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $1,713
Utilities $404
Groceries $507
Transportation $964
Healthcare $470
Other goods and services $752
Estimated total $4,810/mo

Population

569,756

Median household income

$51,888

Census median rent

$1,033/mo

Rent as % of income

30.5%

Median age

32.2

Mean commute

22 min

Methodology

Rent data

Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.

Compare

Nearby cities in Wisconsin

How Milwaukee, WI rent compares to other markets in the state.

City Avg Rent vs Milwaukee, WI Properties
Madison, WI $2,591 +51% 14
Kenosha, WI $1,675 -2% 6
Eau Claire, WI $1,352 -21% 6

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Milwaukee, WI?

The average rent in Milwaukee, WI is $1,713 per month, based on 20 units across 5 apartment buildings tracked by Average Rent. Prices are updated every morning through our proprietary data sourcing.

What is the cheapest apartment rent in Milwaukee, WI?

The lowest available rent in Milwaukee, WI starts at $909 per month. Availability changes daily as leasing data is refreshed each morning.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee, WI?

1-bedroom apartments in Milwaukee, WI average $1,677/mo. The lowest listed 1-bedroom starts at $1,059/mo across 2 units tracked.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee, WI?

2-bedroom apartments in Milwaukee, WI average $1,456/mo. Units start from $1,379/mo across 7 units currently listed.

Rent Trends in Milwaukee, WI

Track how apartment prices are changing over time.

View Rent Trends
Adding new buildings daily

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