Madison, WI vs Milwaukee, WI vs Pleasant Prairie, WI | City comparison

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Side-by-side relocation research with housing, income, commute, career, lifestyle, and friction signals. Green marks the strongest metric in each row; red marks the weakest.

Madison, WI

Madison
Home
$429,253
Rent
$1,697/mo
Income
$78,050
Pop.
285,300
Career
97
Remote
51

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee-Waukesha
Home
$226,456
Rent
$1,461/mo
Income
$54,234
Pop.
563,531
Career
75
Remote
40

Pleasant Prairie, WI

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Home
$458,586
Rent
Income
$103,902
Pop.
21,802
Career
81
Remote
32
MetricMadison, WIMilwaukee, WIPleasant Prairie, WI
Population285,300563,53121,802
Population growth / yr+1.4%-0.6%+0.6%
Median home value$429,253$226,456$458,586
Median rent$1,697/mo$1,461/mo
Median household income$78,050$54,234$103,902
Home value YoY+2.2%+3.6%+7.5%
5-year home CAGR+5.8%+7.1%+6.2%
Off 5-year peak-0.0%+0.0%+0.0%
Momentum score717076
Career fit977581
Remote-work fit514032
Average commute21 min24 min27 min
Traffic friction334241
Public transit gap636599
Outdoors fit333333
Dating scene proxy665428

Best-fit read

  • Milwaukee, WI tends to score better for lower purchase budget.
  • Milwaukee, WI tends to score better for lower rent.
  • Pleasant Prairie, WI tends to score better for higher local income.
  • Madison, WI tends to score better for career momentum.
  • Madison, WI tends to score better for remote-work fit.

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Madison, WI profile
Milwaukee, WI profile
Pleasant Prairie, WI profile