Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Wisconsin instead of Michigan, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In Michigan, the average life expectancy is 76 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Wisconsin, that number is 78 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 37.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Michigan, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Wisconsin, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
be 19.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Michigan, 12.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Wisconsin, however, that number is 10.2% as of 2023.
Safety
be 37.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Michigan has a violent crime rate of 453 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 286 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 21.4% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Michigan has a property crime rate of 1,533 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 1,204 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 13.7% more for a home
The median home value in Michigan is $217,600 as of 2023, compared to $247,400 in Wisconsin as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 2.2 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Michigan takes 24.4 minutes as of 2023. In Wisconsin, it takes 22.2 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 38.4% less densely populated
Michigan has a population density of 68.5 people per sq km as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 42.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 37.9% less likely to be food insecure
In Michigan, 11.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Wisconsin, that number is 7.2% as of 2021.
be 16.1% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Michigan, 3.1% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2020–2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
