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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano, WI | $789/mo | 7.2% | very comfortable |
| Neenah, WI | $983/mo | 9% | very comfortable |
| Bellevue, WI | $982/mo | 9% | very comfortable |
| Marshfield, WI | $1,040/mo | 9.5% | very comfortable |
| Wausau, WI | $1,050/mo | 9.6% | very comfortable |
| Menomonie, WI | $1,052/mo | 9.6% | very comfortable |
| Hartford, WI | $1,050/mo | 9.6% | very comfortable |
| Weston, WI | $1,045/mo | 9.6% | very comfortable |
| La Crosse, WI | $1,080/mo | 9.9% | very comfortable |
| Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $1,095/mo | 10% | very comfortable |
| Green Bay, WI | $1,119/mo | 10.2% | very comfortable |
| Kaukauna, WI | $1,116/mo | 10.2% | very comfortable |
| Two Rivers, WI | $1,119/mo | 10.2% | very comfortable |
| Watertown, WI | $1,166/mo | 10.7% | very comfortable |
| Menasha, WI | $1,171/mo | 10.7% | very comfortable |
| Racine, WI | $1,180/mo | 10.8% | very comfortable |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $1,184/mo | 10.8% | very comfortable |
| Appleton, WI | $1,187/mo | 10.9% | very comfortable |
| Manitowoc, WI | $1,192/mo | 10.9% | very comfortable |
| Oshkosh, WI | $1,208/mo | 11% | very comfortable |
| Eau Claire, WI | $1,214/mo | 11.1% | very comfortable |
| Janesville, WI | $1,214/mo | 11.1% | very comfortable |
| Plover, WI | $1,216/mo | 11.1% | very comfortable |
| South Milwaukee, WI | $1,250/mo | 11.4% | very comfortable |
| Baraboo, WI | $1,241/mo | 11.4% | very comfortable |
| Superior, WI | $1,248/mo | 11.4% | very comfortable |
| Beaver Dam, WI | $1,252/mo | 11.5% | very comfortable |
| Stevens Point, WI | $1,275/mo | 11.7% | very comfortable |
| Chippewa Falls, WI | $1,274/mo | 11.7% | very comfortable |
| Beloit, WI | $1,291/mo | 11.8% | very comfortable |
| Tomah, WI | $1,298/mo | 11.9% | very comfortable |
| Shorewood, WI | $1,356/mo | 12.4% | very comfortable |
| West Allis, WI | $1,372/mo | 12.5% | very comfortable |
| Cudahy, WI | $1,386/mo | 12.7% | very comfortable |
| Onalaska, WI | $1,412/mo | 12.9% | very comfortable |
| Greenfield, WI | $1,425/mo | 13% | very comfortable |
| West Bend, WI | $1,425/mo | 13% | very comfortable |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,469/mo | 13.4% | very comfortable |
| Waukesha, WI | $1,490/mo | 13.6% | very comfortable |
| River Falls, WI | $1,513/mo | 13.8% | very comfortable |
| De Pere, WI | $1,565/mo | 14.3% | very comfortable |
| Middleton, WI | $1,601/mo | 14.6% | very comfortable |
| New Richmond, WI | $1,600/mo | 14.6% | very comfortable |
| Brown Deer, WI | $1,618/mo | 14.8% | very comfortable |
| Kenosha, WI | $1,637/mo | 15% | very comfortable |
| Sun Prairie, WI | $1,642/mo | 15% | very comfortable |
| Madison, WI | $1,656/mo | 15.1% | very comfortable |
| Glendale, WI | $1,671/mo | 15.3% | very comfortable |
| Saukville, WI | $1,672/mo | 15.3% | very comfortable |
| Oak Creek, WI | $1,682/mo | 15.4% | very comfortable |
| Mount Pleasant, WI | $1,680/mo | 15.4% | very comfortable |
| De Forest, WI | $1,683/mo | 15.4% | very comfortable |
| Wauwatosa, WI | $1,722/mo | 15.7% | very comfortable |
| Germantown, WI | $1,717/mo | 15.7% | very comfortable |
| Monona, WI | $1,750/mo | 16% | very comfortable |
| Fitchburg, WI | $1,760/mo | 16.1% | very comfortable |
| Grafton, WI | $1,783/mo | 16.3% | very comfortable |
| Saint Francis, WI | $1,803/mo | 16.5% | very comfortable |
| Oconomowoc, WI | $1,862/mo | 17% | very comfortable |
| Hudson, WI | $1,897/mo | 17.3% | very comfortable |
| Franklin, WI | $1,947/mo | 17.8% | very comfortable |
| Verona, WI | $2,021/mo | 18.5% | very comfortable |
| Brookfield, WI | $2,207/mo | 20.2% | affordable |
| Menomonee Falls, WI | $2,210/mo | 20.2% | affordable |
| Whitefish Bay, WI | $2,390/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Elm Grove, WI | $3,281/mo | 30% | stretched |