What it's like to live in South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee is a small city in Wisconsin with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. South Milwaukee deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How South Milwaukee compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to South Milwaukee
Based on South Milwaukee's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,028
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,560 a year
- 41% of South Milwaukee renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,570
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 28% below US
$1,014/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,014 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $235,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $235,700 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Milwaukee County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Milwaukee County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 61% below US
130 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 976/100k · South Milwaukee Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 17% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (85 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
South Milwaukee's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,014/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
See all the data for South Milwaukee →·All Wisconsin cities →
Other places near South Milwaukee
All Wisconsin guides →Moving to Cudahy →
2 mi away · pop. 17,853
Rent $1,028/mo · Income $66,719
Compare with South Milwaukee →Moving to Oak Creek →
3 mi away · pop. 37,325
Rent $1,452/mo · Income $96,555
Compare with South Milwaukee →Moving to Greendale →
7 mi away · pop. 14,594
Rent $1,252/mo · Income $94,769
Compare with South Milwaukee →Moving to Franklin →
8 mi away · pop. 35,886
Rent $1,458/mo · Income $106,894
Compare with South Milwaukee →Not sure South Milwaukee is the one?
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