Are You Moving From or To Wisconsin?
Wisconsin also referred to as “Badger State” or “America’s Dairyland”, is located in the Midwest and Great Lakes Region of the US.
Many people refer to Wisconsin as the Cheese State or the Dairy State, but there is more to the area than Dairy production. Wisconsin is home to many desirable travel locations from big cities to national parks, offering a range of sights and attractions for thrill-seekers, nature lovers, and families.
Wisconsin is home to 47 fun-filled, incredibly gorgeous and bucket list-worthy state parks. The state’s largest park is Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, where kayakers and rock climbers alike relish the views of the quartzite bluffs and smooth-as-glass lake.
Wisconsin is considered a great place to live for its good schools, easily affordable big cities, beautiful natural vistas, and midwestern hospitality. The cities of Milwaukee, Eau Claire, and Appleton remain some of the top spots to raise a family in the United States
If you’re moving to Wisconsin, there are a lot of things you’re going to need to know. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
Moving to Wisconsin
Pros and Cons of Living in Wisconsin
Here are a few pros and cons to consider as you make your move to The Badger State:
Pros.
- There are beautiful natural resources to enjoy, including thousands of lakes, wild rivers/streams, national forests, wetlands, and an old mountain range (the Blue Hills). Fishing, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling, and camping paradise!
- Healthcare is excellent for such a rural area. We live within a few hundred yards of a hospital and clinic that are part of the Mayo Health System.
- The cost of housing is very reasonable here.
- Local public school districts are very good in our region. They are facing huge challenges, however.
Cons.
- Poverty has skyrocketed.
- Drug abuse is rampant. That includes alcohol abuse.
- Public education is severely underfunded and teachers are vilified by Republican politicians, resulting in low teacher wages and a severe shortage of qualified teachers.
- Mental health issues have skyrocketed (especially among children), due to drug/alcohol abuse and poverty.
- Winters are cold. If you don’t enjoy winter activities, this state isn’t for you… especially up here in the North.
Tax Rates
Wisconsin’s effective income tax rate of 3.56 percent also is high compared to other U.S. states, 42nd lowest. Wisconsin does not have a vehicle property tax.
The Wisconsin (WI) state sales tax rate is currently 5%. Depending on local municipalities, the total tax rate can be as high as 5.6%. Other, local-level tax rates in the state of Wisconsin are quite complex compared to local-level tax rates in other states.
Housing Market
Milwaukee, Janesville, and Sun Prairie are some of the top places to call home
The typical home value of homes in Wisconsin is $200,295. This value is seasonally adjusted and only includes the middle price tier of homes. Wisconsin home values have gone up 6.6% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 7.2% in the next year.
What Should I Know In 2020?
Economy Outlook
According to Economy Rankings by US News & World Report, Wisconsin is currently ranked #24 in the United States.
Wisconsin’s three major economic enterprises are manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. It ranks among the top one-fourth of all states in farm income and manufactured goods. Although the production of durable goods, the state’s major type of manufacturing, fluctuates with the economy, this fluctuation tends to be balanced out by the processing of agricultural and raw forest materials (largely for papermaking), which has remained relatively stable. The major markets for Wisconsin’s products, the sources of most of its energy supplies, and a high proportion of its raw materials lie outside the state.
Wisconsin’s real personal income (i.e., after adjusting for inflation), grew 2.7% in 2019 and it will increase by 1.7% in 2020 and decline by 0.3% in 2021. Prices will increase 0.6% in 2020 and 1.0% in 2021. Wage income in 2019 grew 3.2% in Wisconsin and 4.6% in the US.
Wisconsin’s economy totaled $314 billion in the second quarter of 2020, down from $348 billion in the second quarter of 2019. The state’s losses put it virtually in line with the contraction seen across the five-state Great Lakes region, which shrunk overall at an annual rate of 32.8 percent.
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Traffic & Transportation
Wisconsin’s transportation system is made up of highways, roads, airports, railways, harbors, public transit, and infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists. It is overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, with a focus on the interstate and state highway systems.
The State of Wisconsin spends billions of dollars annually maintaining and expanding its transportation system.
Wisconsin’s transportation network consists of roads and highways, public transit, airports, harbors, railroads, and bicycle/pedestrian facilities. Most of these facilities come fully or partially under the purview of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Focusing mostly on highways, the department plans builds, and maintains the state highway system and the interstate network. It also supports the costs of building and operating local and county transportation systems which include highways, transit, and other modes.
Cost of living
Three Wisconsin cities ranked in the top-100 best places to live, per Livability. MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin is a great place to live, but these three cities happen to be some of the best in the country. According to a Livability study, Eau Claire, Appleton and Madison all rank in the top-100 best places to live.
The cost of living in Wisconsin is lower than the national average. State of Wisconsin salaries averages $46,008.00, indicating a pay rate that is lower than the U.S. average annual salary by $7,613.00. The consumer price index (CPI) of 228 in Wisconsin is 6.94% lower than the U.S. city average CPI of 245. The sales tax is 5.00%.
Summary about the cost of living in Milwaukee, WI, United States:
- Four-person family monthly costs: 3,720.52$ without rent.
- A single person monthly costs: 1,024.77$ without rent.
- The cost of living index in Milwaukee is 19.26% lower than in New York.
- Rent in Milwaukee is, on average, 65.14% lower than in New York.
- Cost of living ranks 66th out of 587 cities in the world.
- Milwaukee has a cost of living index of 80.74
Moving to Wisconsin
Things to Know When Moving To Wisconsin
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Moving is one of the most exciting and overwhelming events in our lives. While there are many moving companies and various different resources to choose from, there is only one Real Movers. If you are in the process of planning a long-distance move, and you are looking for a moving company you can trust, Real Movers is your perfect choice.
