USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Illinois vs Wisconsin: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois or Wisconsin?

  • Overall, Wisconsin is 5.9% less expensive than Illinois (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Illinois works out to about $70,600 in Wisconsin, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 9.2% lower and other services 0.7% lower in Wisconsin, while housing is 15.6% lower.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $58,273 in Wisconsin and $60,333 in Illinois (3.4% lower in Wisconsin; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 91.6 in Fond du Lac, WI to 101.1 in Kenosha, WI (Wisconsin) and from 88.4 in Decatur, IL to 103.6 in Chicago, IL (Illinois), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (5.0%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between Illinois and Wisconsin

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
All items
100.0 94.1
Goods
103.8 94.3
Housing (rents)
93.9 79.3
Utilities
85.0 89.9
Other services
100.2 99.5

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsin
All items100.094.1
Goods103.894.3
Housing (rents)93.979.3
Utilities85.089.9
Other services100.299.5
CategoryIllinoisWisconsinWisconsin vs Illinois
All items100.094.1−5.9%
Goods103.894.3−9.2%
Housing (rents)93.979.3−15.6%
Utilities85.089.9+5.8%
Other services100.299.5−0.7%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $60,333 $58,273 −3.4%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.14 $4.14 0.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Illinois $75,000 $70,600 −5.9%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Midwest region average (EIA has no separate Illinois figure). *Midwest region average (EIA has no separate Wisconsin figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Illinois

  1. Cape Girardeau, MO 86.1
  2. Paducah, KY 86.1
  3. Decatur, IL 88.4
  4. Davenport, IA 89.1
  5. Peoria, IL 91.2
  6. Rockford, IL 92.2
  7. Champaign, IL 92.7
  8. Springfield, IL 92.7
  9. Bloomington, IL 93.5
  10. St. Louis, MO 95.1
  11. Kankakee, IL 96.4
  12. Chicago, IL 103.6

Wisconsin

  1. Duluth, MN 88.8
  2. Fond du Lac, WI 91.6
  3. La Crosse, WI 91.8
  4. Appleton, WI 92.4
  5. Wausau, WI 92.7
  6. Eau Claire, WI 92.8
  7. Oshkosh, WI 92.9
  8. Green Bay, WI 93.1
  9. Janesville, WI 93.7
  10. Sheboygan, WI 94.0
  11. Racine, WI 96.0
  12. Milwaukee, WI 96.9
  13. Madison, WI 97.3
  14. Kenosha, WI 101.1
  15. Minneapolis, MN 104.8

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Illinois and Wisconsin has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsin
2008100.393.2
2009101.694.1
2010101.894.7
2011102.093.7
2012100.994.3
2013100.293.9
201499.793.8
201598.993.3
201699.593.2
2017100.393.5
2018100.494.0
201999.594.5
2020100.392.7
2021101.393.3
2022101.292.4
202398.893.2
2024100.094.1

Goods

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsin
200899.491.2
2009101.794.9
2010102.295.6
2011102.695.4
2012101.196.8
201399.996.1
2014100.596.8
201598.698.4
201698.297.3
2017100.197.4
2018101.598.1
2019102.896.7
2020101.394.5
2021103.795.1
2022102.792.5
2023101.694.3
2024103.894.3

Housing (rents)

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsin
2008103.084.6
2009103.983.7
2010105.085.8
2011104.286.3
2012102.384.6
2013103.082.5
2014102.880.6
2015103.381.2
2016101.479.3
201799.981.9
201899.280.0
201997.779.4
202097.675.3
202196.276.1
202294.177.5
202392.478.3
202493.979.3

Utilities

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsin
200894.299.1
200989.998.4
201090.899.7
201190.196.7
201287.096.2
201381.398.3
201488.495.9
201589.496.7
201689.796.7
201791.497.0
201891.897.8
201983.993.0
202084.793.9
202186.195.4
202288.289.9
202380.489.5
202485.089.9

Other services

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsin
2008100.597.2
2009101.697.0
2010101.397.0
2011101.694.9
2012101.395.9
2013100.796.1
201499.096.1
201598.493.9
2016100.295.1
2017100.994.7
2018100.695.9
201998.998.3
2020101.498.0
2021102.198.1
2022103.097.8
202399.898.0
2024100.299.5

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $58,273 in Wisconsin, $60,333 in Illinois

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
IllinoisWisconsinUnited States
2008$48,377$46,816$45,816
2009$45,534$45,628$44,204
2010$45,770$45,606$44,808
2011$46,640$47,272$45,957
2012$48,199$47,889$46,796
2013$48,770$47,526$46,358
2014$50,191$48,532$47,661
2015$52,761$50,684$49,396
2016$52,619$50,991$49,828
2017$53,045$51,773$51,006
2018$54,837$52,759$52,242
2019$56,192$53,652$53,683
2020$58,809$57,378$56,514
2021$60,683$59,816$59,365
2022$57,980$57,706$57,104
2023$60,348$57,791$58,088
2024$60,333$58,273$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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