Insights » Where Wisconsin’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Where Wisconsin’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Wisconsin

How does living in the Badger state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Wisconsin’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Wisconsin, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,915 in bills per month.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 90 cities and towns across Wisconsin, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Wisconsin and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on Wisconsin’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

Wisconsin residents pay $1,915 in household bills a month

The average Wisconsin household pays $1,915 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

Wisconsin residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 25th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Maine ranks 24th, with annual monthly expenses of $1,922, and Utah ranks 43rd, at $1,910.

Wisconsin’s household expenses, on average, are 4.4% lower than the national average of $2,003.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Wisconsin households spend 38% of their income on household bills.  For example, Connecticut is the 6th most expensive state and New York is the 7th most expensive, but New York residents spend 39% of their income on bills, while Connecticut residents spend only 35%. 

Annually, Wisconsin residents pay $52 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Wisconsin by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Wisconsin

  • Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,915 per month
  • State Bill Pay Market Size: $52 billion
  • doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 25 out of 50
  • Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
  • Difference from the National Average: 4.4% lower

Housing bill category drives Wisconsin’s low monthly bill expenses

The average Wisconsin household pays $1,915 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses drive savings, with both being considerably lower than the national average. The average mortgage payment in Wisconsin is $1,195, and average rent is $867, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368 and rent bill of $1,129.

Other than housing-related expenses, auto insurance bills are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for residents of Wisconsin. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Wisconsin is $187 a month, compared to the national average of $196.

Compared to the national average, utilities are also a notably higher expense for residents of Wisconsin. The average household in the state pays $361 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $328.

Life insurance, by contrast, is more affordable in Wisconsin. While US residents on average spend $82 per month on life insurance, in Wisconsin they spend just $77.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average Wisconsin Household Bill Spending

Bill CategoryAverage Wisconsin Monthly BillNational Average Monthly BillWisconsin Percent +/- National Average ($2,003)
Mortgage$1,195$1,36813% lower
Rent$867$1,12926% lower
Auto Loan$440$4332% higher
Utilities$361$32810% higher
Auto Insurance$187$1965% lower
Cable & Internet$116$1142% higher
Health Insurance$124$1231% lower
Mobile Phone$117$1133% higher
Alarm & Security$87$844% higher
Life Insurance$77$826% lower
Total$1,688$2,0034.4% lower

Oregon tops the list of most expensive cities for Wisconsin’s household bills

Residents of Oregon pay the highest household bills in the state of Wisconsin, at an average of $2,610 per month. Verona comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,545 on average per month.

In proportion to household income, however, Oregon’s bills are costlier than ones in Verona. While Oregon’s monthly bill basket makes up 34% of average household income there, Verona’s bill basket accounts for just 30% of average household income in that area.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

10 Most Expensive Wisconsin Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(1-10 out of 91)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per Household*Percent of Household Income Used for Bills
1Oregon$2,61034%
2Verona$2,54530%
3Waunakee$2,44028%
4Middleton$2,37334%
5Mequon$2,36327%
6Deforest$2,34434%
7Brookfield$2,33927%
8Hartland$2,30628%
9Watertown$2,28451%
10Franklin$2,26934%

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Antigo is the most affordable Wisconsin city for household bills

Out of 90 cities and towns, Antigo is the most affordable place in Wisconsin, with residents paying $1,410 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 38% of local income in Antigo.

Marinette comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Wisconsin, with residents paying $1,466 per month on average.

Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Wisconsin are Rice Lake ($1,479 per month), Rhinelander ($1,531 per month), and Merrill ($1,559 per month).

10 Most Affordable Wisconsin Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(81-90 out of 90)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per HouseholdPercent of Household Income Used for Bills
81Waupaca$1,43733%
82Sturgeon Bay$1,43135%
83Stevens Point$1,42337%
84Manitowoc$1,61340%
85Two Rivers$1,59541%
86Merrill$1,55932%
87Rhinelander$1,53134%
88Rice Lake$1,47936%
89Marinette$1,46636%
90Antigo$1,41038%

In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Wisconsin’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.