Moving to Ohio from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Ohio? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 6.9% cheaper than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $69,519 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 56°F in Madison, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Ohio.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,519
To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.9% less
Groceries
pay 4.0% less
Transportation
pay 15.6% more
Housing
pay 1.9% less
Childcare
pay 35.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.3% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Ohio leads in violent crime rate.
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
Wisconsin performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Ohio generally does better on what about housing?, though Wisconsin leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin performs better than Ohio across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Wisconsin generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Wisconsin performs better than Ohio 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 | Madison | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Wisconsin?
On average Ohio is about 7% less expensive than Wisconsin, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Ohio?
Budget about $17,380 for 3 months in Ohio (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Ohio safe?
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Ohio leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
