Milwaukee vs Racine
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $166,500 in Racine and $184,000 in Milwaukee.
- Households earn more in Racine ($57,740 vs $54,234 median).
- Racine is growing faster: -0.5% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
Side by side
| Milwaukee, WI | Racine, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 562,407 | 77,908 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.7% | -0.5% |
| People per square mile | 5,848 | 5,035 |
| Median age | 32.4 | 34.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $54,234 | $57,740 |
| Median home value | $184,000 | $166,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 2.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,059 | $1,033 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 96.9 | 96.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 97.1 | 92.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $72,700 | $72,000 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | 7.65% | 7.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.72% | 5.72% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 13% | 7% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.2% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 22.8% | 18.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 31° / 17° | 31° / 16° |
| July high / low | 82° / 65° | 81° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 35 in | 32 in |
| Snowfall per year | 49 in | 41 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 9 | 7 |
| Nights below freezing | 123 | 126 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.4 | 85.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 60% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +7.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +51.9% | +56.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Milwaukee: May to September. Racine: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Milwaukee weather by month and Racine weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $72,700 in Milwaukee and $72,000 in Racine. Moving from Milwaukee to Racine, you would need about $74,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Milwaukee and Racine
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Milwaukee and Racine.
Which would you pick?
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