Moving to Wisconsin from New Mexico

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from New Mexico to Wisconsin — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from New Mexico to Wisconsin, you would find that Wisconsin is 7.7% more expensive than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $73,353 in Wisconsin to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Mexico to Wisconsin.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $73,353

To maintain the same standard of living in Wisconsin

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 1.8% more

Groceries

pay 4.8% less

Transportation

pay 17.3% more

Housing

pay 4.2% less

Childcare

pay 51.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Mexico to Wisconsin.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NM
745
WI
286
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NM
2872
WI
1204

Wisconsin performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NM
9.3%
WI
5.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NM
32.2%
WI
37.8%

Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NM
$232,200
WI
$247,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NM
$1,021
WI
$1,045

New Mexico performs better than Wisconsin across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NM
84.5%
WI
89.5%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NM
23 min
WI
22 min

Wisconsin performs significantly better than New Mexico across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NM
4.2%
WI
3.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NM
$56,008
WI
$59,333

Wisconsin performs significantly better than New Mexico across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NM
74.5 yrs
WI
77.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NM
21%
WI
22%

Wisconsin performs significantly better than New Mexico across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santa Fe Rain: 15.7 in/yr (399 mm)
64° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Madison Rain: 34.5 in/yr (876 mm)
56° / 37°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santa Fe Madison
Jan–Mar 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) 68°/46°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) 78°/57°F (25°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Santa Fe Madison
Jan 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C)
Feb 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C)
Mar 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C)
Apr 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
May 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Jun 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C)
Jul 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Aug 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C)
Sep 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C)
Oct 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C)
Nov 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C)
Dec 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Wisconsin than New Mexico?

Costs in Wisconsin and New Mexico are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.

How much money do I need to move to Wisconsin?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,338 in Wisconsin on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Wisconsin safe?

Wisconsin performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Wisconsin compared to New Mexico?

Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Mexico leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in Wisconsin compared to New Mexico?

The average high temperature in Madison is 56°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Madison receives around 34.5 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.

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