Moving from Iowa to Wisconsin
Moving to Wisconsin on the same salary cuts your real buying power by 7.9%; you'd need about $82,800 to break even. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
The salary comparison above is for W-2 earnings. Your retirement income and budget results appear in the calculator below.
State-median gross rent (2024 ACS): $981/month in Iowa and $1,142/month in Wisconsin. These are state benchmarks, not current rental quotes or your own housing costs. Compare your salary offer, housing and moving-cost recovery using the personal-budget option in the calculator.
Equal salary in WI: $82,800
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $82,800 in Wisconsin to match $75,000 in Iowa ($7,800 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
The renter figure uses ACS gross rent, which includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels. The buyer figure adds electricity separately to mortgage, property tax and insurance. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. These are selected-cost changes, not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $75,000 | Iowa | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $7,670 | $7,670 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $5,738 | $5,738 |
| State income tax | $2,198 | $2,944 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $59,394 | $58,649 |
Key facts: Iowa to Wisconsin
- Median rent
- $981 → $1,142/mo
- Median home value
- $227,300 → $294,700
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 87.8 → 94.1
- Road distance
- ≈ 280 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- High county-score mean (62.8 → 78.6 of 100)
What changes when you move to Wisconsin
- Your state taxes rise by about $745 a year on the same $75,000 salary.
- BEA's housing rents price index is 21% higher in Wisconsin. Median rent goes from $981 to $1,142 a month and the median home value from $227,300 to $294,700.
- Homeowners pay more property tax: the median bill is $3,680 in Wisconsin vs $2,937 in Iowa.
Who moves from Iowa to Wisconsin
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 1,768 households (2,711 people) filed their taxes in Wisconsin after filing in Iowa the year before. That makes Wisconsin the #7 destination for people leaving Iowa. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $62,818. Going the other way, 1,458 households moved from Wisconsin to Iowa, a net gain of 310 households for Wisconsin.
Five-year trend
Moves from Iowa to Wisconsin reached a five-year high in 2022–23, up 15% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Iowa to Wisconsin
Moving cost: $350–$5,370
Moving about 280 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin costs roughly $350 – $5,370, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $350 – $840 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,140 – $2,200 |
| Full-service movers Loading, transport and unloading. Packing, storage and other extra services may cost more; confirm the written estimate. | $1,900 – $5,370 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 28 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Iowa to Wisconsin
Car shipping: $610–$930
Shipping a sedan from Iowa to Wisconsin on an open carrier costs about $610–$930, typically 1–4 days in transit over about 280 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published mainland-to-Hawaii and mainland-to-Alaska prices. Reverse ocean routes reuse those inbound prices as a proxy, not a separately sourced price for that direction. The 25% SUV and 35% enclosed-carrier uplifts are model assumptions; ocean carrier packages and vehicle charges can differ. Not a quote.
Iowa vs Wisconsin take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in WI | Take-home change | Take-home in IA | Take-home in WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $54,300 | -$329 | $41,107 | $40,778 |
| $75,000 | $82,800 | -$745 | $59,394 | $58,649 |
| $100,000 | $110,500 | -$1,279 | $76,032 | $74,752 |
| $150,000 | $166,000 | -$2,261 | $108,743 | $106,482 |
| $250,000 | $277,200 | -$3,761 | $174,334 | $170,573 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: Iowa vs Wisconsin
| Measure | Iowa | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 87.8 | 94.1 |
| Housing rents price index | 65.3 | 79.3 |
| Utilities price index | 83.3 | 89.9 |
| Goods price index | 93.7 | 94.3 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $981 | $1,142 |
| Median home value | $227,300 | $294,700 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,937 | $3,680 |
| Electricity (residential) | 15.93¢/kWh | 19.56¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 6% | 5% |
| Median household income | $75,501 | $77,488 |
Renting and buying: Iowa vs Wisconsin
| Measure | Iowa | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $39,240 | $45,680 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,602 | $2,007 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $68,674 | $86,030 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,421 | $1,128 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $13,253 | $18,604 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Wisconsin for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Iowa vs Wisconsin
On a $75,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $36,234 a year in Iowa and $40,411 in Wisconsin if you rent: $4,177 more after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $45,099 and $52,242 ($7,143 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | IA | WI | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $75,000, single filer | $15,606 | $16,351 | +$745 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $873 | $922 | +$49 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $1,971 | $2,102 | +$131 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,012 | $7,332 | +$1,320 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent and basic utilities ACS median gross rent, 12 months | $11,772 | $13,704 | +$1,932 |
| Total if you rent | $36,234 | $40,411 | +$4,177 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 7.24% | $14,871 | $19,280 | +$4,409 |
| Property tax median home | $2,937 | $3,680 | +$743 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,421 | $1,128 | -$293 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,408 | $1,447 | +$39 |
| Total if you buy | $45,099 | $52,242 | +$7,143 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $13,253 a year in Iowa and $18,604 in Wisconsin (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).
Cost of living in Wisconsin cities: Milwaukee, Madison.
After you arrive in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Iowa and Wisconsin.
- How Wisconsin taxes retirement income.
- Live in Wisconsin but keep working in Iowa? See who taxes your wages.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Wisconsin to live like I do in Iowa?
A $75,000 salary in Iowa works out to about $82,800 in Wisconsin once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $110,500.
Will I pay less tax in Wisconsin than in Iowa?
No, about $745 more a year in income and payroll taxes on a $75,000 salary (20.8% of pay in Iowa vs 21.8% in Wisconsin). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Iowa to Wisconsin?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 280 miles, expect roughly $350–$840 with a rental truck, $1,140–$2,200 with a moving container, or $1,900–$5,370 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from Iowa to Wisconsin?
Moves from Iowa to Wisconsin reached a five-year high in 2022–23, up 15% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Iowa to Wisconsin?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 1,768 households (2,711 people) moved from Iowa to Wisconsin, making Wisconsin the #7 destination for people leaving Iowa. 1,458 households moved the other way.
Is Wisconsin cheaper than Iowa?
Overall prices in Wisconsin are 7.2% higher than Iowa (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,142 vs $981 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Iowa actually move
- IA to Illinois 4,586 households
- IA to Nebraska 3,156 households
- IA to Minnesota 2,819 households
- IA to Texas 2,432 households
- IA to Florida 2,080 households
- IA to Missouri 2,029 households
- IA to Colorado 1,504 households
- IA to California 1,351 households
State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing.