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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano, WI | $789/mo | 15.5% | very comfortable |
| Bellevue, WI | $993/mo | 19.6% | very comfortable |
| Neenah, WI | $1,020/mo | 20.1% | affordable |
| Wausau, WI | $1,029/mo | 20.3% | affordable |
| Weston, WI | $1,045/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Two Rivers, WI | $1,048/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Hartford, WI | $1,050/mo | 20.7% | affordable |
| Green Bay, WI | $1,083/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| La Crosse, WI | $1,089/mo | 21.4% | affordable |
| Manitowoc, WI | $1,094/mo | 21.5% | affordable |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $1,094/mo | 21.5% | affordable |
| Kaukauna, WI | $1,116/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Eau Claire, WI | $1,127/mo | 22.2% | affordable |
| Superior, WI | $1,144/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| South Milwaukee, WI | $1,154/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Menomonie, WI | $1,162/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Appleton, WI | $1,195/mo | 23.5% | affordable |
| Marshfield, WI | $1,196/mo | 23.5% | affordable |
| Racine, WI | $1,200/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Oshkosh, WI | $1,201/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $1,201/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Janesville, WI | $1,216/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Menasha, WI | $1,215/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Tomah, WI | $1,233/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Baraboo, WI | $1,258/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Beaver Dam, WI | $1,276/mo | 25.1% | affordable |
| Watertown, WI | $1,289/mo | 25.4% | affordable |
| Stevens Point, WI | $1,301/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| West Allis, WI | $1,332/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Cudahy, WI | $1,332/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Beloit, WI | $1,337/mo | 26.3% | affordable |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | $1,372/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Plover, WI | $1,371/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Shorewood, WI | $1,374/mo | 27.1% | affordable |
| West Bend, WI | $1,398/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Onalaska, WI | $1,406/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| De Pere, WI | $1,415/mo | 27.9% | affordable |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,458/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| River Falls, WI | $1,490/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Waukesha, WI | $1,509/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Middleton, WI | $1,564/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Greenfield, WI | $1,575/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Saukville, WI | $1,598/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| New Richmond, WI | $1,604/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Madison, WI | $1,621/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Kenosha, WI | $1,649/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Sun Prairie, WI | $1,659/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Germantown, WI | $1,662/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Glendale, WI | $1,664/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Brown Deer, WI | $1,679/mo | 33.1% | stretched |
| Wauwatosa, WI | $1,686/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Saint Francis, WI | $1,693/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Mount Pleasant, WI | $1,703/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Monona, WI | $1,699/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Fitchburg, WI | $1,715/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| De Forest, WI | $1,737/mo | 34.2% | stretched |
| Grafton, WI | $1,755/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Oak Creek, WI | $1,776/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Hudson, WI | $1,797/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Oconomowoc, WI | $1,858/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | $1,956/mo | 38.5% | stretched |
| Franklin, WI | $1,968/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Verona, WI | $2,065/mo | 40.7% | rent-burdened |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | $2,128/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Brookfield, WI | $2,174/mo | 42.8% | rent-burdened |
| Elm Grove, WI | $3,738/mo | 73.6% | severely rent-burdened |