CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.96° N · 88.00° W · GEOID 5531175

Greenfield

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin · part of the Milwaukee, WI metro

WisconsinGreenfield, WIGreenfieldGreenfield

The short answer

Greenfield is home to 37,345 people. Median household income is $70,459 a year and median rent is $1,170 a month, 19.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $261,100, about 3.7x annual median household income.

Greenfield stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 2.5%, against 4.1% in its closest peers. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 4 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 90% of places its size.

66OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Greenfield scores better than 66% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 133rd of 158 in Wisconsin.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%53
Economy 20%67
Safety 20%46
Amenities 15%68
Education 10%53
Commute 10%68
Growth 5%9
Median gross rent
$1,170
14% below the median place
Median household income
$70,459
12% below the median place
Median home value
$261,100
18% below the median place
Unemployment
2.5%
49% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Greenfield

  • Affordability43% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 83% of the 986 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Greenfield

Milwaukee County loses about 8.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in26,367
Moved out32,276
Net−5,909

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Waukesha County, WI4,6257,631−3,006
Racine County, WI1,4011,966−565
Cook County, IL1,3871,073+314
Ozaukee County, WI8661,489−623
Washington County, WI8231,300−477
Dane County, WI918935−17

Within Wisconsin, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WisconsinOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$59K
Leavers$74K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Milwaukee County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Milwaukee County report $59,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $74,200, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$46,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,170 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,800 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $261,100.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 14.4% work from home; 3.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Wooster, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.0%
47% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.9%
54% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-8.2
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGreenfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.0%47% below
Moved from another state10.9%54% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-8.2below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$59,46216% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$74,2166% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 1.8% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 87% of the 912 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Greenfield19.9%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$46,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.9%
2% below the median place
Home price to income
3.7x
2% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$57,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Greenfield, $1,170 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Greenfield, but easier on the budget

Places that match Greenfield on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Wooster, OH9216.5% vs 19.9%n/aCompare
Fox Crossing, WI9215.3% vs 19.9%$11,100Compare
Jefferson City, MO9014.5% vs 19.9%$2,600Compare
Gladstone, MO9016.5% vs 19.9%$12,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Greenfield.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Greenfield? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
3.0%
57% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.8%
98% above the median place
Homeownership1
54.8%
18% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureGreenfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,17014% below
Rent to income119.9%2% below
Property tax rate11.8%98% above
Home price to income13.7x2% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure96.94% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,26322% below
Property tax paid (median)1$4,70544% above
Median home value1$261,10018% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure5.8%82% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure56.1%9% above
Homeownership154.8%18% below
Renters paying 30%+142.7%16% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,8004% below
Vacant homes13.0%57% below
Median year built119740% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment averaged 2.5% over the survey period, lower than in 93% of the 985 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Unemployment1
2.5%
49% below the median place
Mean commute1
22 min
11% below the median place
Poverty rate1
8.6%
20% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$70,459 −12%
Works from home14.4% +16%
Income per person$42,974 +7%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGreenfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$70,45912% below
Income per person1$42,9747% above
Unemployment12.5%49% below
Average annual pay5County figure$72,1139% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.3%16% above
Jobs5County figure467,199210% above
Poverty rate18.6%20% below
Mean commute122 min11% below
Works from home114.4%16% above
Commutes by transit1County figure3.5%306% above
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.12 people, smaller than than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Household size1
2.1
15% below the median place
Population change since 20206
-1.7%
below the median place (median 1.1%)
Median age1
42.0
8% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher94.2% +2%
Homes with broadband90.5% −2%
Born abroad10.8% +23%
Bachelor's or higher33.5% +4%
No health insurance6.4% +0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureGreenfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population137,3451204th largest
Population change since 20206-1.7%below (median 1.1%)
Median age142.08% above
Bachelor's or higher133.5%4% above
High school or higher194.2%2% above
Household size12.115% below
Born abroad110.8%23% above
No health insurance16.4%0% above
Homes with broadband190.5%2% below
05

Life in Greenfield

The nearest National Park Service site is Pullman National Historical Park, about 90 miles away.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 10 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Simonds 10-Sided Barn listed 2020

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.1 +18%
Playgrounds per 10k15.0 +59%
Grocery stores per 10k4.0 +90%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k18.7 +68%
Libraries per 10k0.5 −38%
Named paths and bike trails11 km 5.7×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi11.4 54.1×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Pullman National Historical Park 90 miles
  • Ice Age Trail 93 miles
  • Indiana Dunes National Park 102 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.9 +10%
Shops26.8 −12%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.5 −15%
Doctors' offices and clinics20.0 −1%
Child care centers5.6 2.4×

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
89.7
191% above the median place
Students per teacher13
13.2
14% below the median place
Public schools13
9
0% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGreenfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools1390% above
Public school students134,8461% below
Students per teacher1313.214% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.910% above
Shops per 10k8County figure26.812% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.515% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure20.01% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure5.6143% above
Parks per 10k912.118% above
Playgrounds per 10k915.059% above
Grocery stores per 10k94.090% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k918.768% above
Libraries per 10k90.538% below
Named paths and bike trails911.4above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi911.4above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1089.7191% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 105, 45% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
105
45% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,212
82% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Heat wave risk15
99.0
10% above the median place
Tornado risk15
99.0
22% above the median place
January average low14
15°F
42% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureGreenfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure81°F6% below
January average low14County figure15°F42% below
Average temperature14County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation14County figure34.5 in21% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure98.46% above
Hurricane risk15County figure18.873% below
Tornado risk15County figure99.022% above
Wildfire risk15County figure29.552% below
Heat wave risk15County figure99.010% above
Median air quality index16County figure430% above
Good air days16County figure62.5%9% below
08

Greenfield in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Greenfield does better than 52% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 51%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,170/mo (2024)$1,490/mo$1,220 to $1,820/mo+4.1%
Median household income$70,459 (2024)$88,500$75,000 to $104,500+3.9%
Median home value$261,100 (2024)$374,000$272,000 to $516,000+6.2%
Population37,159 (2025)37,17035,660 to 38,750+0.0%

The median home would be worth 4.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Greenfield

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Pittsfield, MA$1,134$70,582Compare
Bridgeton, MO$1,172$72,005Compare
Gardiner, ME$1,113$71,782Compare
Timberlake, VA$1,083$75,657Compare
Timberlake, VAGardiner, MEBridgeton, MOPittsfield, MAGreenfield, WIGreenfieldBridgetonGardinerTimberlakeGreenfieldBridgetonGardinerTimberlake

Places built like Greenfield

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Greenfield performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Greenfield, WI19.9%3.0%/yr-1.7%
Wausau, WI18.8%6.6%/yr0.5%Compare
Southfield, MI23.6%4.1%/yr-0.7%Compare
Waverly, MI18.5%3.6%/yrn/aCompare
Findlay, OH19.0%3.8%/yr0.2%Compare
Ashwaubenon, WI16.6%3.2%/yr2.5%Compare
Wooster, OH16.5%6.9%/yr-0.5%Compare

Common questions

Is Greenfield a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 66 out of 100, better than 66% of the places we rate and 133rd of 158 in Wisconsin. 43% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 83% of the 986 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 42 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Greenfield expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $261,100.

What salary do you need to live in Greenfield?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $46,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Greenfield safe?

There were 105 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Greenfield?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Pittsfield, MA, Bridgeton, MO, Gardiner, ME and Timberlake, VA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Greenfield with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Greenfield itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/greenfield-wisconsin

Citytistics. “Greenfield, Wisconsin.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/greenfield-wisconsin/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.