Rent Affordability for A Software Developer in Wisconsin
A typical software developer in Wisconsin earns about $131,205 a year, which supports approximately $3,280 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. 65 of 66 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 1 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wausau, WI | $954/mo | 8.7% | very comfortable |
| Two Rivers, WI | $975/mo | 8.9% | very comfortable |
| Bellevue, WI | $1,026/mo | 9.4% | very comfortable |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $1,041/mo | 9.5% | very comfortable |
| Green Bay, WI | $1,088/mo | 10% | very comfortable |
| Eau Claire, WI | $1,119/mo | 10.2% | very comfortable |
| Manitowoc, WI | $1,114/mo | 10.2% | very comfortable |
| Kaukauna, WI | $1,116/mo | 10.2% | very comfortable |
| Superior, WI | $1,126/mo | 10.3% | very comfortable |
| South Milwaukee, WI | $1,148/mo | 10.5% | very comfortable |
| Marshfield, WI | $1,164/mo | 10.6% | very comfortable |
| Janesville, WI | $1,165/mo | 10.7% | very comfortable |
| Neenah, WI | $1,175/mo | 10.7% | very comfortable |
| Appleton, WI | $1,185/mo | 10.8% | very comfortable |
| West Bend, WI | $1,177/mo | 10.8% | very comfortable |
| Watertown, WI | $1,182/mo | 10.8% | very comfortable |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $1,196/mo | 10.9% | very comfortable |
| Racine, WI | $1,215/mo | 11.1% | very comfortable |
| Weston, WI | $1,214/mo | 11.1% | very comfortable |
| Tomah, WI | $1,222/mo | 11.2% | very comfortable |
| Oshkosh, WI | $1,243/mo | 11.4% | very comfortable |
| Hartford, WI | $1,250/mo | 11.4% | very comfortable |
| Baraboo, WI | $1,310/mo | 12% | very comfortable |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | $1,332/mo | 12.2% | very comfortable |
| La Crosse, WI | $1,346/mo | 12.3% | very comfortable |
| Menomonie, WI | $1,359/mo | 12.4% | very comfortable |
| Beaver Dam, WI | $1,369/mo | 12.5% | very comfortable |
| Beloit, WI | $1,394/mo | 12.7% | very comfortable |
| Stevens Point, WI | $1,393/mo | 12.7% | very comfortable |
| Onalaska, WI | $1,394/mo | 12.7% | very comfortable |
| De Pere, WI | $1,403/mo | 12.8% | very comfortable |
| Shawano, WI | $1,400/mo | 12.8% | very comfortable |
| Greenfield, WI | $1,426/mo | 13% | very comfortable |
| Plover, WI | $1,435/mo | 13.1% | very comfortable |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,443/mo | 13.2% | very comfortable |
| West Allis, WI | $1,445/mo | 13.2% | very comfortable |
| Menasha, WI | $1,457/mo | 13.3% | very comfortable |
| Cudahy, WI | $1,464/mo | 13.4% | very comfortable |
| Saint Francis, WI | $1,460/mo | 13.4% | very comfortable |
| Waukesha, WI | $1,475/mo | 13.5% | very comfortable |
| Germantown, WI | $1,547/mo | 14.1% | very comfortable |
| Middleton, WI | $1,584/mo | 14.5% | very comfortable |
| Saukville, WI | $1,598/mo | 14.6% | very comfortable |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | $1,621/mo | 14.8% | very comfortable |
| Shorewood, WI | $1,615/mo | 14.8% | very comfortable |
| New Richmond, WI | $1,619/mo | 14.8% | very comfortable |
| Kenosha, WI | $1,627/mo | 14.9% | very comfortable |
| Sun Prairie, WI | $1,636/mo | 15% | very comfortable |
| Glendale, WI | $1,649/mo | 15.1% | very comfortable |
| Fitchburg, WI | $1,661/mo | 15.2% | very comfortable |
| Wauwatosa, WI | $1,680/mo | 15.4% | very comfortable |
| Brown Deer, WI | $1,688/mo | 15.4% | very comfortable |
| Mount Pleasant, WI | $1,718/mo | 15.7% | very comfortable |
| Franklin, WI | $1,737/mo | 15.9% | very comfortable |
| De Forest, WI | $1,741/mo | 15.9% | very comfortable |
| River Falls, WI | $1,771/mo | 16.2% | very comfortable |
| Hudson, WI | $1,805/mo | 16.5% | very comfortable |
| Oak Creek, WI | $1,816/mo | 16.6% | very comfortable |
| Monona, WI | $1,820/mo | 16.6% | very comfortable |
| Madison, WI | $1,837/mo | 16.8% | very comfortable |
| Oconomowoc, WI | $1,891/mo | 17.3% | very comfortable |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | $1,940/mo | 17.7% | very comfortable |
| Verona, WI | $1,992/mo | 18.2% | very comfortable |
| Grafton, WI | $2,016/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Brookfield, WI | $2,222/mo | 20.3% | affordable |
| Elm Grove, WI | $3,421/mo | 31.3% | stretched |