Rent Affordability for A Chef in Wisconsin
A typical chef in Wisconsin earns about $60,943 a year, which supports approximately $1,524 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Wisconsin city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 40 of 66 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 26 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wausau, WI | $954/mo | 18.8% | very comfortable |
| Two Rivers, WI | $975/mo | 19.2% | very comfortable |
| Bellevue, WI | $1,026/mo | 20.2% | affordable |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $1,041/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Green Bay, WI | $1,088/mo | 21.4% | affordable |
| Manitowoc, WI | $1,114/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Eau Claire, WI | $1,119/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Kaukauna, WI | $1,116/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Superior, WI | $1,126/mo | 22.2% | affordable |
| South Milwaukee, WI | $1,148/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Janesville, WI | $1,165/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Marshfield, WI | $1,164/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Neenah, WI | $1,175/mo | 23.1% | affordable |
| West Bend, WI | $1,177/mo | 23.2% | affordable |
| Appleton, WI | $1,185/mo | 23.3% | affordable |
| Watertown, WI | $1,182/mo | 23.3% | affordable |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $1,196/mo | 23.5% | affordable |
| Racine, WI | $1,215/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Weston, WI | $1,214/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Tomah, WI | $1,222/mo | 24.1% | affordable |
| Oshkosh, WI | $1,243/mo | 24.5% | affordable |
| Hartford, WI | $1,250/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Baraboo, WI | $1,310/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | $1,332/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| La Crosse, WI | $1,346/mo | 26.5% | affordable |
| Menomonie, WI | $1,359/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Beaver Dam, WI | $1,369/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Beloit, WI | $1,394/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Stevens Point, WI | $1,393/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Onalaska, WI | $1,394/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| De Pere, WI | $1,403/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Shawano, WI | $1,400/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Greenfield, WI | $1,426/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Plover, WI | $1,435/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,443/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| West Allis, WI | $1,445/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Menasha, WI | $1,457/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Saint Francis, WI | $1,460/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Cudahy, WI | $1,464/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Waukesha, WI | $1,475/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Germantown, WI | $1,547/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Middleton, WI | $1,584/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Saukville, WI | $1,598/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Shorewood, WI | $1,615/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | $1,621/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| New Richmond, WI | $1,619/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Kenosha, WI | $1,627/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Sun Prairie, WI | $1,636/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Glendale, WI | $1,649/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Fitchburg, WI | $1,661/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Wauwatosa, WI | $1,680/mo | 33.1% | stretched |
| Brown Deer, WI | $1,688/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Mount Pleasant, WI | $1,718/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Franklin, WI | $1,737/mo | 34.2% | stretched |
| De Forest, WI | $1,741/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| River Falls, WI | $1,771/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Hudson, WI | $1,805/mo | 35.5% | stretched |
| Oak Creek, WI | $1,816/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Monona, WI | $1,820/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Madison, WI | $1,837/mo | 36.2% | stretched |
| Oconomowoc, WI | $1,891/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | $1,940/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Verona, WI | $1,992/mo | 39.2% | stretched |
| Grafton, WI | $2,016/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Brookfield, WI | $2,222/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Elm Grove, WI | $3,421/mo | 67.4% | severely rent-burdened |