Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Wisconsin
You consider moving to Wisconsin but are not entirely sure whether this state would be a good place to live for you or not?
Great! Make sure to read all the pros and cons of living in Wisconsin in the following article so you can better decide for yourself whether you still want to move to Wisconsin or rather want to move to a different region instead.
Living in Wisconsin – Overview
Climate | People in Wisconsin experience a continental climate with short summers and pretty cold winters with lots of snow. |
Housing | Property prices and rents are pretty low in most regions of Wisconsin and housing shortage is not a big problem yet. |
Living Costs | Living costs in Wisconsin are below national average. |
Income | Even though median household income in Wisconsin is slightly below national average, many people can still afford a decent lifestyle since living and housing costs are also rather low compared to the rest of the US. |
Safety | While Wisconsin is not considered the safest state in the US, its crime rate is still below national average. |
Education | Although you will find some decent schools and colleges in the biggest cities of Wisconsin, you may still have a hard time finding really good education in the rural parts of the state. |
Job Market | Unemployment rate in Wisconsin has been slightly below national average over the past decades and highly-qualified people have a rather easy time finding decent jobs. |
Culture | While you will find lots of cultural diversity in the biggest cities, you may still miss high levels of cultural diversity in the rural parts of Wisconsin. |
Leisure Activities | Even though there are many things you can do in nature, Wisconsin may still not be the greatest place for people who need adrenaline on a regular basis when it comes to leisure activities. |
Landscape | There are many nice lakes, forests and other recreational spaces where you can relax and reload your batteries. |
Infrastructure | Public transport is rather poor in most parts of Wisconsin and you may therefore urgently need a car to get around. |
Level of Tolerance | While Wisconsin is a pretty tolerant state, you may still meet some people with rather traditional and conservative values. |
Nightlife | Although you will find some decent bars and clubs in the biggest cities, nightlife is still not great in the rural parts of Wisconsin. |
Total Population | 5.89 million inhabitants. |

Advantages of Living in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin is a rather affordable state
- Housing prices and rents are rather low
- Housing shortage is not a big problem yet
- You don’t have to make lots of money for your job to afford a decent lifestyle
- Rather low financial pressure for people living in Wisconsin
- People in Wisconsin can enjoy lots of beautiful nature
- You can spend lots of time outdoors
- Decent air quality in most parts of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin is a rather relaxed state
- Moving to Wisconsin can help you slow down your life
- You have lots of space for yourself in public
- Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Wisconsin yet
- You can enjoy real seasons by moving to Wisconsin
- Wisconsin may still be an underrated place to live
- Population in Wisconsin has been growing over the past decades
- Wisconsin is not crowded with tourists yet
- You can live a pretty simple life in Wisconsin
- It’s not all about the money yet
- Moving to Wisconsin may help you spend more time with your family
- Wisconsin is a rather safe state
- You can do many free things in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a rather affordable state
Since Wisconsin is a rather affordable state, you don’t have to spend as much money on things of daily life as in many other regions of the US and this may give you the opportunity to save and invest enough money for retirement and other important stuff instead of just spending it all on consumption.
Housing prices and rents are rather low
Another advantage of living in Wisconsin is that property prices and rents are fairly low and you may therefore not have to spend as much money on housing as people moving to NYC or other more expensive regions in the US.
Housing shortage is not a big problem yet
Since housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of Wisconsin, you will also have a rather easy time finding a place to stay.
You don’t have to make lots of money for your job to afford a decent lifestyle
Since housing and living costs are rather low, you will also not have to make a fortune from your job to afford a decent lifestyle and may therefore have to spend fewer hours on your career and may have more time to do the things you really love in life.
Rather low financial pressure for people living in Wisconsin
Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, people moving to Wisconsin may also have to deal with lower financial pressure compared to people living in more expensive regions and this may just increase your overall quality of life quite a lot.
People in Wisconsin can enjoy lots of beautiful nature
You should also know that Wisconsin offers lots of beautiful nature and if you love spending time in forests and other natural environment, chances are you will really enjoy your time in Wisconsin.
You can spend lots of time outdoors
There are also many things you can do in nature.
For instance, you could go fishing, hiking or camping and enjoy your time in natural environments together with your family while you may be able to relax at the same time.
Decent air quality in most parts of Wisconsin
You will also be able to enjoy decent air quality in many parts of Wisconsin and this can not only make you feel better but may also reduce your risk of suffering from serious pulmonary issues later in your life.
Wisconsin is a rather relaxed state
Since many people don’t have to deal with high levels of financial pressure, Wisconsin is also a rather relaxed state where you can hang out with many great guys and gals and have a great time.
Moving to Wisconsin can help you slow down your life
Since there are so many nice things to do in nature, moving to Wisconsin may also be a good idea in case you are stressed with your life right now and want to move to a place where you can really slow down your life.
You have lots of space for yourself in public
Since population density in Wisconsin is rather low, you will also have more than enough space for yourself in public during times you just want to be on your own instead of having company and hanging out with other people.
Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Wisconsin yet
Another benefit of moving to Wisconsin is that traffic is not a big deal in most regions yet and this means you will have to spend far less time in traffic jams compared to people living in Los Angeles or other more crowded regions.
You can enjoy real seasons by moving to Wisconsin
Since you will experience warm summers and pretty cold winters, you will also have the luxury of real seasons so you can go swimming in summer and skiing in winter which can make your life much more interesting.
Wisconsin may still be an underrated place to live
Even though Wisconsin is not a really popular state yet, it still has a lot to offer and may therefore be considered an underrated place to live from which you can benefit since you can get decent quality of life at a rather low price in many regions.
Population in Wisconsin has been growing over the past decades
You should also note that population numbers have been growing quite a lot over the past decades and this is usually a sign that a region becomes more attractive in the future.
Wisconsin is not crowded with tourists yet
Since Wisconsin is not the most popular state in the US, you will also not have to deal with many tourists and this may allow you to spend your life in a more efficient manner since you don’t have to answer the same questions over and over again.
You can live a pretty simple life in Wisconsin
Since Wisconsin has many great natural habitats, you can also spend lots of time living a pretty simple life and just enjoying what nature has gifted you with and can still be quite happy.
It’s not all about the money yet
You should also know that many people in Wisconsin not only care about how much you make but rather about you as a person and you can therefore make really good friends in this region if you are a genuine character.
Moving to Wisconsin may help you spend more time with your family
Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, many people in Wisconsin are also able to spend lots of time with their families since they don’t have to work many extra hours and can rather see their kids grow up.
Wisconsin is a rather safe state
Compared to many other regions in the US, Wisconsin is also a rather safe state and you may therefore not have to worry about burglaries or other unpleasant issues as much as in many other states.
You can do many free things in Wisconsin
Since there are so many nice things you can do outdoors, you will also find many free things to do and can have lots of fun without having to spend lots of money on leisure activities.
As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Wisconsin.
Yet, it is not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the problems with living in Wisconsin so you will get a more profound picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to move to Wisconsin or rather want to move to Idaho or other interesting states instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Wisconsin
- Median household income in Wisconsin is not great
- Hard to build a strong business network in the rural parts of Wisconsin
- Not many big cities in Wisconsin
- Hard to find great education outside the big cities of Wisconsin
- Medical infrastructure may not be great in the rural regions
- Public transport is pretty bad in most parts of Wisconsin
- You urgently need a car to get around in most regions
- Nightlife in Wisconsin is not great outside of the biggest cities
- Not many great attractions in Wisconsin
- You may get bored with your life in Wisconsin sooner or later
- Wisconsin is not the most popular state
- You may miss high levels of cultural diversity
- Public infrastructure gets worse in the rural parts of Wisconsin
- You may miss fancy shopping opportunities
- Winters in Wisconsin may be too cold for you
- Distances in Wisconsin can be pretty long
- You may not be able to meet as many international tourists as in other states
- Hard to find decent art scenes in Wisconsin
- Risk of natural disasters may increase in the future
- Homeowners insurance may become increasingly expensive
- Rather questionable future outlook for Wisconsin
Median household income in Wisconsin is not great
One downside to living in Wisconsin is that it is rather hard to make really good money from your job since income levels are slightly below national average and if your goal is to get rich, you may want to work for a company in a higher-paying region.
Hard to build a strong business network in the rural parts of Wisconsin
Since there are not as many big corporations to work for as in many other states, you may also have a hard time building a really strong business network which may slow down your career quite a bit.
Not many big cities in Wisconsin
You should also keep in mind that Wisconsin just doesn’t have many really big cities and if you love big city life, you may be better off moving to Chicago or other more vibrant places instead.
Hard to find great education outside the big cities of Wisconsin
While you may find decent schools in the biggest cities of Wisconsin, overall quality of education may get worse in the rural regions of the state and you may have a hard time finding great education for your kids.
Medical infrastructure may not be great in the rural regions
You should also not forget that also overall medical infrastructure gets worse once you leave the urban parts of Wisconsin and you may therefore have to drive long hours to a doctor’s appointment in case you want to live in one of those rural and remote regions.
Public transport is pretty bad in most parts of Wisconsin
You should also not expect to find great public transport in most regions of Wisconsin and may not be able to rely on buses or trains to get to important meetings on time.
You urgently need a car to get around in most regions
Since public transport options are not great, you may also urgently need a car to get around in an efficient manner and this may not only be bad for your pocket but also for our environment.
Nightlife in Wisconsin is not great outside of the biggest cities
In most parts of Wisconsin, you may also miss great nightlife and in case you are a party person, you may just not get happy in this regard in the long run.
Not many great attractions in Wisconsin
Compared to many other states and metropolitan areas, there are also not many really great events in Wisconsin and you may therefore miss a certain feeling of excitement if you live there for a longer period of time.
You may get bored with your life in Wisconsin sooner or later
Since there might not be as many exciting things to do as in many other regions, you may also just get bored with your life in Wisconsin sooner or later which would greatly hurt your overall quality of life.
Wisconsin is not the most popular state
You should also know that Wisconsin is not the most popular state yet and your family and friends may therefore not visit you as often as they would if you moved to San Diego or other more popular regions.
You may miss high levels of cultural diversity
Although you may be able to meet many interesting people from different cultures in the urban parts of Wisconsin, you may still miss cultural diversity in the rural regions where people are often still pretty conservative and traditional.
Public infrastructure gets worse in the rural parts of Wisconsin
You should also keep in mind that overall public infrastructure gets worse once you get outside of the big cities and you may just need more time for organizing your life in case you want to move to the rural parts of the state.
You may miss fancy shopping opportunities
You should also not expect to find as many great shopping opportunities in Wisconsin as you would in fancier states and if you are a shopping queen, you may just not be able to follow latest fashion trends in an efficient manner in many regions of Wisconsin.
Winters in Wisconsin may be too cold for you
Climatic conditions are also not great for everyone in Wisconsin.
In fact, winters are pretty cold and if you can’t stand cold weather and snow, you may be better off moving to California or other warmer regions instead.
Distances in Wisconsin can be pretty long
If you want to live in the rural parts of Wisconsin, distances can also be pretty long and it may therefore take you lots of time to bring your kids to school and to manage your daily life in general.
You may not be able to meet as many international tourists as in other states
Since Wisconsin is not really popular among tourists, you may not be able to meet as many great guys and gals from all over the world as you would in more popular states and may therefore miss out on many interesting conversations.
Hard to find decent art scenes in Wisconsin
Also in case you are an artist and want to hang out with many other art experts, you may not get happy in many parts of Wisconsin since art scenes are usually not as great in this region as in many other states.
Risk of natural disasters may increase in the future
Due to climate change, natural disasters may also become more common in Wisconsin in the future and you may just lose everything you have to one of those extreme events if you are unlucky.
Homeowners insurance may become increasingly expensive
If you want to protect yourself financially from the consequences of natural disasters, you may get proper homeowners insurance.
However, since natural disasters will likely become more common, also the costs of homeowners insurance will likely go up which makes living in Wisconsin more expensive.
Rather questionable future outlook for Wisconsin
Since Wisconsin may not be the most popular state in the US yet, also its overall future outlook may be rather questionable and it is hard to tell whether overall quality of life will increase or decrease in this region over the next decades.

Top 10 Moving to Wisconsin Pros & Cons – Summary List
Living in Wisconsin Pros | Living in Wisconsin Cons |
---|---|
Rather low living costs in Wisconsin | Median household income is not great |
Property prices and rents are still affordable for many people | Wisconsin may not be the most exciting state |
Low overall financial pressure for people living in Wisconsin | Hard to find really good art scenes in Wisconsin |
People in Wisconsin can spend lots of time outdoors in nature | Winters in Wisconsin may be too cold for you |
Many free things to do in Wisconsin | Hard to find really good education in the rural regions |
It’s not all about the money in Wisconsin | Public transport is not great in most parts of Wisconsin |
Wisconsin is a rather relaxed state | Wisconsin may not be the most popular state |
You can enjoy real seasons in Wisconsin | Rather questionable outlook for Wisconsin |
Moving to Wisconsin can help you slow down your life | You may miss high levels of cultural diversity |
Wisconsin may still be an underrated state | Many regions are still pretty conservative and traditional |
Is Wisconsin a Good Place to Live?
While moving to Wisconsin can make quite a lot of sense in case you search for an affordable place to live and also love nature, you should still know that Wisconsin may not be the most exciting state and public infrastructure may not be as great as in many other regions.
In the end, it is on you to judge the advantages and disadvantages of living in Wisconsin so you will be better able to decide for yourself whether you want to live in this region in the long run.
Most Popular Cities to Live in Wisconsin – Comparison
Living Costs | Property Prices | Income Level | Infrastructure | |
Milwaukee | moderate | moderate | moderate | decent |
Madison | moderate | moderate | moderate | decent |
Green Bay | moderate | moderate | low | decent |
Kenosha | moderate | low | low | poor |
Racine | low | low | low | poor |
Alternative States to Live
If you no longer want to move to Wisconsin, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:
Advantages and disadvantages of living in West Virginia
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Washington State
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Texas
Sources
https://www.statista.com/statistics/206388/resident-population-in-wisconsin/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/595179/wisconsin-gdp-growth/

About the author
This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.
My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.
Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.
In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.