CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

43.01° N · 88.03° W · GEOID 5585300

West Allis

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

WisconsinWest Allis, WIWest AllisWest Allis

The short answer

West Allis is home to 59,612 people. Median household income is $67,611 a year and median rent is $1,007 a month, 17.9% 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 $203,800, about 3.0x annual median household income.

The story in West Allis is how fast things are changing. Household income rose 5.3% a year while rent rose 3.6% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 92% of places its size. Also notable: 41% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 94% of places its size.

65OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

West Allis scores better than 65% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 135th of 158 in Wisconsin.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%73
Economy 20%51
Safety 20%42
Amenities 15%54
Education 10%45
Commute 10%75
Growth 5%41
Median gross rent
$1,007
26% below the median place
Median household income
$67,611
16% below the median place
Median home value
$203,800
36% below the median place
Unemployment
4.1%
16% 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 West Allis

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 17.9% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 85% of the 530 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
01

Moving to West Allis

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
3.4% 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
$40,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,007 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,503 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $203,800.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 10.1% work from home; 2.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Manitowoc, WI matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.4%
41% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.9%
53% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-8.2
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWest AllisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.4%41% below
Moved from another state10.9%53% 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 1.9% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 91% of the 502 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

West Allis17.9%
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
$40,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.9%
12% below the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
21% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
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 West Allis, $1,007 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 West Allis, but easier on the budget

Places that match West Allis 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
Manitowoc, WI9115.1% vs 17.9%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to West Allis? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1956
1% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.9%
110% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
40.8%
19% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWest AllisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,00726% below
Rent to income117.9%12% below
Property tax rate11.9%110% above
Home price to income13.0x21% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure96.94% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,26322% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,89419% above
Median home value1$203,80036% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure5.8%82% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure56.1%9% above
Homeownership155.5%16% below
Renters paying 30%+140.8%19% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,50320% below
Vacant homes16.5%7% below
Median year built119561% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 25.3 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 90% of the 530 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
2.8%
226% above the median place
Mean commute1
21 min
16% below the median place
Unemployment1
4.1%
16% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$67,611 −16%
Works from home10.1% −19%
Poverty rate11.5% +7%
Income per person$39,741 −1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWest AllisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$67,61116% below
Income per person1$39,7411% below
Unemployment14.1%16% below
Average annual pay5County figure$72,1139% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.3%16% above
Jobs5County figure467,199210% above
Poverty rate111.5%7% above
Mean commute121 min16% below
Works from home110.1%19% below
Commutes by transit12.8%226% above
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.08 people, smaller than than in 97% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Household size1
2.1
17% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
89.9%
3% below the median place
Population change since 20206
-0.4%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad6.0% −32%
Median age39.7 +2%
Bachelor's or higher29.6% −8%
No health insurance6.9% +8%
High school or higher92.0% −0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureWest AllisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population159,612707th largest
Population change since 20206-0.4%below (median 1.1%)
Median age139.72% above
Bachelor's or higher129.6%8% below
High school or higher192.0%0% below
Household size12.117% below
Born abroad16.0%32% below
No health insurance16.9%8% above
Homes with broadband189.9%3% below
05

Life in West Allis

The nearest National Park Service site is Ice Age Trail, about 90 miles away.

9 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 10 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • West Allis Post Office listed 2001
  • Wadhams Gas Station listed 2004
  • Greenfield School listed 2006
  • Kegel's Inn listed 2010
  • Koelsch Funeral Home listed 2010
  • McMicken, Alexander Herschel and Pauline G., House listed 2010

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.9 −32%
Playgrounds per 10k14.1 +50%
Grocery stores per 10k1.7 −21%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k19.5 +75%
Libraries per 10k0.5 −43%
Named paths and bike trails5 km 2.5×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi25.3 120.5×

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

  • Ice Age Trail 90 miles
  • Pullman National Historical Park 93 miles
  • Indiana Dunes National Park 105 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
90.2
193% above the median place
Students per teacher13
14.0
9% below the median place
Public schools13
12
33% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWest AllisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools131233% above
Public school students135,65215% above
Students per teacher1314.09% 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 10k96.932% below
Playgrounds per 10k914.150% above
Grocery stores per 10k91.721% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k919.575% above
Libraries per 10k90.543% below
Named paths and bike trails94.9145% above
Transit stops per sq mi925.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1090.2193% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11931% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 183, 5% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
183
5% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,701
40% 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
MeasureWest AllisAmong 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

West Allis in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 18% 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, West Allis does better than 74% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 32%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,007/mo (2024)$1,280/mo$1,050 to $1,560/mo+4.1%
Median household income$67,611 (2024)$86,000$73,000 to $102,000+4.1%
Median home value$203,800 (2024)$289,000$210,000 to $398,000+6.0%
Population60,119 (2025)60,55058,080 to 63,120+0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

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

09

Places like West Allis

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

PlaceRentIncome
Cheektowaga, NY$1,055$68,613Compare
New Ulm, MN$962$64,449Compare
Leeds, AL$1,058$69,737Compare
South Milwaukee, WI$1,014$73,427Compare
South Milwaukee, WILeeds, ALNew Ulm, MNCheektowaga, NYWest Allis, WIWest AllisCheektowagaNew UlmLeedsWest AllisCheektowagaNew UlmLeeds

Places built like West Allis

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 West Allis performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
West Allis, WI17.9%5.3%/yr-0.4%
Belleville, IL19.2%5.7%/yr-5.0%Compare
Decatur, IL19.7%3.9%/yr-4.9%Compare
Quincy, IL17.8%4.1%/yr-1.8%Compare
Euclid, OH24.5%5.6%/yr-3.5%Compare
Wausau, WI18.8%6.6%/yr0.5%Compare
Cuyahoga Falls, OH17.1%5.0%/yr-0.2%Compare

Common questions

Is West Allis a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 65 out of 100, better than 65% of the places we rate and 135th of 158 in Wisconsin. The median rent takes 17.9% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 85% of the 530 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 47 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is West Allis expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.9% 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 $203,800.

What salary do you need to live in West Allis?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $40,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is West Allis safe?

There were 183 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to West Allis?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cheektowaga, NY, New Ulm, MN, Leeds, AL and South Milwaukee, WI.

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 West Allis with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for West Allis itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/west-allis-wisconsin

Citytistics. “West Allis, Wisconsin.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/west-allis-wisconsin/

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