Like all states, Wisconsin has certain places that are going on hard times. These Wisconsin places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Wisconsin.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 143 cities in Wisconsin with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Wisconsin For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in Wisconsin? According to the facts, Whitewater is the poorest place in Wisconsin for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Dangerous Cities In Wisconsin
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Wisconsin For 2024
1. Whitewater
/10
Population: 15,725
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $46,135 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.5% (highest)
People In Poverty: 5,105
More on Whitewater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Whitewater, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Wisconsin thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 15,725 people averages the 3rd lowest median household income in Wisconsin and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Platteville
/10
Population: 11,543
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Income: $46,554 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.0% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,997
More on Platteville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in Wisconsin is Platteville.
The city ranks as having the 2nd highest incidence of poverty and 4th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 34th highest in the Badger State.
3. Ashland
/10
Population: 7,903
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 6)
Median Income: $47,239 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.8% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,963
More on Ashland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Ashland’s median income ranks as the 5th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 24.84% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Badger State.
4. Milwaukee
/10
Population: 573,299
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Median Income: $49,733 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.9% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 136,846
More on Milwaukee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Milwaukee ranks as the fourth poorest place in Wisconsin.
The town ranks as having the 8th lowest median household income and the 4th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Rice Lake
/10
Population: 8,990
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Income: $44,494 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.8% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,603
More on Rice Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in Wisconsin is Rice Lake.
The city ranks as having the lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 12th highest in Wisconsin.
Still not the best news for Rice Lake.
6. Rhinelander
/10
Population: 8,236
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 4)
Median Income: $47,730 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 18.4% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,516
More on Rhinelander: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Rhinelander ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Badger State.
It ranks as having the 9th highest incidence of poverty and the 117th highest unemployment rate.
7. Menomonie
/10
Population: 16,563
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Income: $51,250 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 19.6% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,238
More on Menomonie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Menomonie places as the seventh poorest city in Wisconsin.
The city of over 16,563 ranks as having the 6th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Antigo
/10
Population: 8,075
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 4)
Median Income: $45,581 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.3% (14th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,398
More on Antigo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Antigo ranks as the eighth poorest city in Wisconsin.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. La Crosse
/10
Population: 52,043
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Median Income: $51,836 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 21.0% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 10,939
More on La Crosse: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
La Crosse couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Wisconsin; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 12th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, La Crosse ranks as having the 5th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Wisconsin.
10. Racine
/10
Population: 77,453
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Income: $52,766 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 19.2% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 14,839
More on Racine: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Wisconsin is Racine.
The city of 77,453 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Badger State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Wisconsin for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 143 places with more than 5,000 people in Wisconsin, we ranked each place from 1 to 143 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Whitewater, crowned the “Poorest Place In Wisconsin For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Wisconsin.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Wisconsin For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Wisconsin, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Wisconsin.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Wisconsin, according to data:
-
Richest: Richfield
2nd Richest: Suamico
3rd Richest: Fox Point
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Wisconsin
- Safest Places In Wisconsin
- Worst Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Wisconsin
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Wisconsin
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitewater | 15,725 | 32.5% | $46,135 | 5,105 |
| 2 | Platteville | 11,543 | 26.0% | $46,554 | 2,997 |
| 3 | Ashland | 7,903 | 24.8% | $47,239 | 1,963 |
| 4 | Milwaukee | 573,299 | 23.9% | $49,733 | 136,846 |
| 5 | Rice Lake | 8,990 | 17.8% | $44,494 | 1,603 |
| 6 | Rhinelander | 8,236 | 18.4% | $47,730 | 1,516 |
| 7 | Menomonie | 16,563 | 19.6% | $51,250 | 3,238 |
| 8 | Antigo | 8,075 | 17.3% | $45,581 | 1,398 |
| 9 | La Crosse | 52,043 | 21.0% | $51,836 | 10,939 |
| 10 | Racine | 77,453 | 19.2% | $52,766 | 14,839 |
| 11 | St. Francis | 9,288 | 16.5% | $51,749 | 1,533 |
| 12 | Richland Center | 5,058 | 18.3% | $54,295 | 923 |
| 13 | Merrill | 9,266 | 15.7% | $48,378 | 1,450 |
| 14 | New London | 7,342 | 17.4% | $53,580 | 1,281 |
| 15 | Stevens Point | 25,549 | 16.4% | $53,611 | 4,187 |
| 16 | Wisconsin Rapids | 18,783 | 14.3% | $51,186 | 2,682 |
| 17 | Prairie du Chien | 5,502 | 12.9% | $52,400 | 709 |
| 18 | Shawano | 9,212 | 14.2% | $54,848 | 1,306 |
| 19 | Berlin | 5,537 | 16.0% | $57,656 | 888 |
| 20 | Superior | 26,562 | 13.9% | $54,935 | 3,697 |
| 21 | Beloit | 36,642 | 15.4% | $57,168 | 5,653 |
| 22 | North Fond du Lac | 5,372 | 19.4% | $63,342 | 1,040 |
| 23 | Oshkosh | 66,373 | 16.1% | $59,186 | 10,699 |
| 24 | Green Bay | 106,846 | 16.1% | $59,174 | 17,159 |
| 25 | Tomah | 9,527 | 12.8% | $55,203 | 1,224 |
| 26 | Marinette | 11,065 | 12.7% | $54,969 | 1,406 |
| 27 | Chippewa Falls | 14,623 | 14.2% | $58,558 | 2,075 |
| 28 | Portage | 10,450 | 14.9% | $59,619 | 1,557 |
| 29 | Manitowoc | 34,500 | 14.6% | $60,040 | 5,043 |
| 30 | Wausau | 39,906 | 13.2% | $59,259 | 5,259 |
| 31 | Eau Claire | 69,098 | 15.0% | $63,882 | 10,364 |
| 32 | Ripon | 7,823 | 12.1% | $56,563 | 942 |
| 33 | Marshfield | 18,795 | 12.2% | $58,474 | 2,302 |
| 34 | Sparta | 9,943 | 11.1% | $55,308 | 1,099 |
| 35 | Kenosha | 99,493 | 14.6% | $64,963 | 14,545 |
| 36 | Fond du Lac | 44,527 | 11.6% | $58,675 | 5,147 |
| 37 | Sturgeon Bay | 9,620 | 10.2% | $55,791 | 985 |
| 38 | Menasha | 18,125 | 12.8% | $62,514 | 2,310 |
| 39 | River Falls | 16,165 | 18.1% | $72,247 | 2,927 |
| 40 | Sheboygan | 49,805 | 11.4% | $59,861 | 5,662 |
| 41 | Lake Geneva | 8,335 | 11.8% | $62,883 | 981 |
| 42 | Madison | 268,516 | 16.9% | $74,895 | 45,271 |
| 43 | South Milwaukee | 20,678 | 13.5% | $68,801 | 2,791 |
| 44 | Cudahy | 18,087 | 12.3% | $66,592 | 2,222 |
| 45 | Two Rivers | 11,252 | 8.6% | $56,236 | 972 |
| 46 | Mayville | 5,176 | 9.8% | $62,645 | 505 |
| 47 | West Allis | 59,907 | 10.2% | $64,888 | 6,092 |
| 48 | Ashwaubenon | 16,939 | 11.0% | $67,748 | 1,866 |
| 49 | Waupun | 11,109 | 10.2% | $66,033 | 1,129 |
| 50 | Kimberly | 7,331 | 9.2% | $65,061 | 674 |
| 51 | Reedsburg | 10,019 | 10.1% | $66,026 | 1,010 |
| 52 | Waupaca | 6,294 | 7.0% | $56,076 | 437 |
| 53 | Neenah | 27,309 | 10.3% | $71,280 | 2,810 |
| 54 | Janesville | 65,669 | 9.9% | $68,610 | 6,481 |
| 55 | Jefferson | 7,778 | 10.1% | $69,844 | 786 |
| 56 | Columbus | 5,481 | 8.3% | $65,727 | 455 |
| 57 | Baraboo | 12,541 | 8.8% | $66,592 | 1,097 |
| 58 | Glendale | 13,227 | 12.8% | $79,861 | 1,697 |
| 59 | Delavan | 8,519 | 9.0% | $69,238 | 770 |
| 60 | Pewaukee | 8,227 | 6.8% | $60,202 | 557 |
| 61 | Altoona | 8,506 | 10.4% | $77,002 | 882 |
| 62 | Plymouth | 8,907 | 7.5% | $65,893 | 671 |
| 63 | Watertown | 22,978 | 8.2% | $67,189 | 1,884 |
| 64 | Hartford | 15,667 | 8.8% | $70,887 | 1,373 |
| 65 | Monroe | 10,622 | 6.3% | $62,191 | 672 |
| 66 | Greenfield | 37,521 | 7.8% | $67,536 | 2,930 |
| 67 | Waukesha | 70,945 | 10.2% | $77,558 | 7,250 |
| 68 | Sheboygan Falls | 8,163 | 7.1% | $66,416 | 576 |
| 69 | Appleton | 75,133 | 8.8% | $75,469 | 6,611 |
| 70 | Burlington | 11,000 | 10.4% | $80,529 | 1,139 |
| 71 | Kaukauna | 17,111 | 8.5% | $74,575 | 1,461 |
| 72 | Shorewood | 13,707 | 12.1% | $87,161 | 1,655 |
| 73 | Plover | 13,549 | 8.7% | $76,120 | 1,171 |
| 74 | West Bend | 31,682 | 7.4% | $71,904 | 2,334 |
| 75 | Weston | 15,698 | 7.3% | $71,466 | 1,149 |
| 76 | Stoughton | 13,091 | 7.5% | $73,014 | 983 |
| 77 | Lake Hallie | 7,178 | 8.2% | $76,134 | 587 |
| 78 | Beaver Dam | 16,652 | 5.7% | $65,802 | 945 |
| 79 | Twin Lakes | 6,341 | 11.1% | $88,770 | 702 |
| 80 | Edgerton | 5,878 | 9.1% | $80,255 | 532 |
| 81 | Brown Deer | 12,593 | 10.4% | $88,164 | 1,309 |
| 82 | Elkhorn | 10,253 | 7.0% | $72,958 | 712 |
| 83 | Sturtevant | 6,823 | 9.2% | $83,816 | 630 |
| 84 | Fort Atkinson | 12,522 | 6.5% | $72,215 | 808 |
| 85 | De Pere | 25,373 | 7.6% | $78,733 | 1,925 |
| 86 | Fitchburg | 29,826 | 9.0% | $87,253 | 2,678 |
| 87 | Hartland | 9,599 | 7.8% | $82,238 | 744 |
| 88 | Rothschild | 5,537 | 8.5% | $84,963 | 471 |
| 89 | Howard | 20,022 | 6.2% | $77,118 | 1,237 |
| 90 | Port Washington | 12,446 | 5.9% | $76,609 | 734 |
| 91 | New Richmond | 10,158 | 6.1% | $78,077 | 622 |
| 92 | Mount Pleasant | 27,640 | 7.1% | $83,827 | 1,962 |
| 93 | DeForest | 10,767 | 9.2% | $97,381 | 985 |
| 94 | Bellevue | 16,086 | 5.2% | $76,152 | 844 |
| 95 | Lake Mills | 6,280 | 5.6% | $77,449 | 354 |
| 96 | Middleton | 21,864 | 7.4% | $87,333 | 1,620 |
| 97 | Little Chute | 11,798 | 3.5% | $69,102 | 411 |
| 98 | Hudson | 14,763 | 7.4% | $90,250 | 1,088 |
| 99 | Onalaska | 18,837 | 5.7% | $80,296 | 1,064 |
| 100 | Cedarburg | 12,213 | 5.1% | $79,610 | 619 |
I live near whitewater friends live in whitewater, there is no place that rents for 700 or less month, average house goes for 1,500 month
I cannot believe that Eau Claire is 32 poorest cities in Wisconsin, I could understand because the City of Eau Claire is the 19 most dangerous city in the state.
What this study does not clearly take into account is college students. I also live in WW and approximately 2/3 of the 14k population is college kids. The actually town is around 5k. That’s why >30% are considered “poverty”. I would assume this is the case for La Crosse and Platteville as well. Not sure how you could wean those out in a study though as they can be considered “residents”