Moving to Wisconsin from New York
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New York to Wisconsin — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New York to Wisconsin, you would find that Wisconsin is 9.7% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $62,618 in Wisconsin to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from New York to Wisconsin.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $62,618
To maintain the same standard of living in Wisconsin
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.7% less
Groceries
pay 16.3% less
Transportation
pay 18.0% less
Housing
pay 18.4% less
Childcare
pay 10.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.6% less
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
How New York and Wisconsin stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Wisconsin leads in diabetes rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Wisconsin performs significantly better than New York across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
New York generally does better on infrastructure, though Wisconsin leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Wisconsin leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
New York performs better than Wisconsin 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Albany | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Albany | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) |
| Feb | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) |
| Mar | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) |
| Apr | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) |
| May | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Aug | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) |
| Sep | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) |
| Dec | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Wisconsin than New York?
Generally yes: Wisconsin runs about 17% cheaper than New York on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Wisconsin?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $15,654 in Wisconsin for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Wisconsin safe?
Wisconsin performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Wisconsin compared to New York?
New York generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Wisconsin leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Wisconsin compared to New York?
The average high temperature in Madison is 56°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Madison receives around 34.5 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.
