How much rent can you afford in Waukesha, WI?
Run your salary against Waukesha's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Waukesha
At a median rent of $1,490/mo, Waukesha is very affordable when measured against Waukesha median household income of $130,978/yr. Rent would consume roughly 14% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $59,600 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Waukesha compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Waukesha?
On a $130,978 salary (the Waukesha median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $3,274/mo. Waukesha's median rent is $1,490/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Waukesha?
To keep Waukesha's $1,490/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $59,600/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Waukesha affordable on the median Wisconsin income?
Waukesha is very affordable on a $130,978 income. Rent would take 14% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".