Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Wisconsin
A typical waiter or waitress in Wisconsin earns about $34,704 a year, which supports approximately $868 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. 1 of 66 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 65 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano, WI | $789/mo | 27.3% | affordable |
| Neenah, WI | $983/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Bellevue, WI | $982/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Marshfield, WI | $1,040/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Weston, WI | $1,045/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Wausau, WI | $1,050/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Hartford, WI | $1,050/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Menomonie, WI | $1,052/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| La Crosse, WI | $1,080/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $1,095/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Kaukauna, WI | $1,116/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Green Bay, WI | $1,119/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Two Rivers, WI | $1,119/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Watertown, WI | $1,166/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Menasha, WI | $1,171/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Racine, WI | $1,180/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $1,184/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Appleton, WI | $1,187/mo | 41% | rent-burdened |
| Manitowoc, WI | $1,192/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Oshkosh, WI | $1,208/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| Eau Claire, WI | $1,214/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Janesville, WI | $1,214/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Plover, WI | $1,216/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Baraboo, WI | $1,241/mo | 42.9% | rent-burdened |
| South Milwaukee, WI | $1,250/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Superior, WI | $1,248/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Beaver Dam, WI | $1,252/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| Stevens Point, WI | $1,275/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | $1,274/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Beloit, WI | $1,291/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Tomah, WI | $1,298/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Shorewood, WI | $1,356/mo | 46.9% | rent-burdened |
| West Allis, WI | $1,372/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |
| Cudahy, WI | $1,386/mo | 47.9% | rent-burdened |
| Onalaska, WI | $1,412/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Greenfield, WI | $1,425/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| West Bend, WI | $1,425/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,469/mo | 50.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waukesha, WI | $1,490/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| River Falls, WI | $1,513/mo | 52.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| De Pere, WI | $1,565/mo | 54.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| New Richmond, WI | $1,600/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Middleton, WI | $1,601/mo | 55.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brown Deer, WI | $1,618/mo | 55.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kenosha, WI | $1,637/mo | 56.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sun Prairie, WI | $1,642/mo | 56.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Madison, WI | $1,656/mo | 57.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glendale, WI | $1,671/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Saukville, WI | $1,672/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mount Pleasant, WI | $1,680/mo | 58.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Creek, WI | $1,682/mo | 58.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| De Forest, WI | $1,683/mo | 58.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Germantown, WI | $1,717/mo | 59.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wauwatosa, WI | $1,722/mo | 59.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Monona, WI | $1,750/mo | 60.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Fitchburg, WI | $1,760/mo | 60.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Grafton, WI | $1,783/mo | 61.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Saint Francis, WI | $1,803/mo | 62.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oconomowoc, WI | $1,862/mo | 64.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hudson, WI | $1,897/mo | 65.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Franklin, WI | $1,947/mo | 67.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Verona, WI | $2,021/mo | 69.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookfield, WI | $2,207/mo | 76.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | $2,210/mo | 76.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | $2,390/mo | 82.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elm Grove, WI | $3,281/mo | 113.5% | severely rent-burdened |