Most of Milwaukee is in Milwaukee County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $30.04 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 33 ZIP codes in Milwaukee with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $930 to $1,470 a month. At the middle rent, $960, a full-time job would need to pay $29.71 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53201 | Milwaukee County | $960/mo | $29.71/hr |
| 53202 | Milwaukee County | $1,470/mo | $48.70/hr |
| 53203 | Milwaukee County | $1,470/mo | $48.70/hr |
| 53204 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53205 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53206 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53207 | Milwaukee County | $1,030/mo | $32.03/hr |
| 53208 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53209 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53210 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53211 | Milwaukee County | $1,220/mo | $39.00/hr |
| 53212 | Milwaukee County | $970/mo | $30.04/hr |
| 53213 | Milwaukee County | $1,120/mo | $35.13/hr |
| 53214 | Milwaukee County | $970/mo | $30.04/hr |
| 53215 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53216 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53217 | Milwaukee County | $1,340/mo | $43.65/hr |
| 53218 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53219 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53220 | Milwaukee County | $1,000/mo | $31.03/hr |
| 53221 | Milwaukee County | $1,030/mo | $32.03/hr |
| 53222 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53223 | Milwaukee County | $980/mo | $30.37/hr |
| 53224 | Milwaukee County | $1,010/mo | $31.36/hr |
| 53225 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53226 | Milwaukee County | $1,180/mo | $37.44/hr |
| 53227 | Milwaukee County | $1,020/mo | $31.70/hr |
| 53228 | Milwaukee County | $1,120/mo | $35.13/hr |
| 53233 | Milwaukee County | $930/mo | $28.71/hr |
| 53234 | Milwaukee County | $960/mo | $29.71/hr |
| 53237 | Milwaukee County | $960/mo | $29.71/hr |
| 53278 | Milwaukee County | $960/mo | $29.71/hr |
| 53295 | Milwaukee County | $970/mo | $30.04/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Milwaukee needs to pay at least $30.04 an hour before taxes, about $62,478 a year. That is the figure for Milwaukee County, where the typical studio rent is $970 a month.
Yes. Across the 33 ZIP codes in Milwaukee with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $930 to $1,470 a month. At the middle rent of $960, the pay needed would be $29.71 an hour.
The minimum wage in Milwaukee County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.1 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads