Madison, WI vs Milwaukee, WI vs Waunakee, 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

Waunakee, WI

Madison
Home
$586,622
Rent
$2,038/mo
Income
$125,220
Pop.
16,363
Career
84
Remote
37
MetricMadison, WIMilwaukee, WIWaunakee, WI
Population285,300563,53116,363
Population growth / yr+1.4%-0.6%+2.4%
Median home value$429,253$226,456$586,622
Median rent$1,697/mo$1,461/mo$2,038/mo
Median household income$78,050$54,234$125,220
Home value YoY+2.2%+3.6%+2.2%
5-year home CAGR+5.8%+7.1%+6.2%
Off 5-year peak-0.0%+0.0%-0.2%
Momentum score717074
Career fit977584
Remote-work fit514037
Average commute21 min24 min24 min
Traffic friction334234
Public transit gap6365100
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.
  • Waunakee, 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
Waunakee, WI profile